I don`t know how much longer Elder Sotto is going to be in Kitami

I`ve heard a lot about these places that are included in this article. The Abashiri Elders are in my district and they`ve been to the prison up there. They mentioned the ice that floats up to the shores as well.

Whenever we go to Kushiro the bus stops at a rest stop in Akan Park. We can`t really see anything from the stop, but you can see a little bit of the lake after and when coming in you pass an Ainu Museum with a huge statue of an owl hanging above the entrance.
We were all able to go to the Sapporo Snow Festival and that was really amazing! Kitami had it`s own small statues carved in front of the Eki (train station) and they were actually even more skillfully made than the ones in Sapporo. The ones in Sapporo are huge though!

I was raised as a bean in Sapporo and got to see some fun places, and everyday when we walked out of our apartment we could see the Big Ski Jump. It`s in perfect view on the side of the mountain from the main street Oodori.

 

It`s amazing the experiences we get to have here as missionaries. I haven`t been very into going around to many places on P-day but I want to do it more often.

 

Things over here in Kitami are going great :) I`m not sure how much longer I`ll be here though. This weekend we went down to Obihiro for a Zone Conference and Kaicho interviewed everyone. He told me a couple exciting things in my interview. He said that they`ve been searching for another apartment up here so that we can move into it and so that sisters can move into our apartment next transfer! They`re bringing sisters to Kitami! He`s getting a bigger apartment for the elders so that when 4 elders come up to Kitami everyone can fit (right now having 3 is pretty tight and squished). He also told me, "but you may not be there in Kitami to see that." haha. Kaicho loves leaving little hints at what`s going to happen in the upcoming transfers. He told me again a little while later the same thing, "I don`t know how much longer Elder Sotto is going to be in Kitami." Oh Kaicho :P

There are17 new missionaries coming in next transfer (in 2 weeks) so I wouldn`t be surprised if Me and My doki (people who came to Japan at the same time) start training. I guess we`ll see!

 

In total this weekend we traveled 16 hours by bus and car. 5 hours to Obihiro and 5 back, then 3 hours to Kushiro on Sunday and 3 back. We had Chihoubu taikai (Branch Conference) on sunday and got to hear Elder Aoyagi of the 2nd Quorum of the 70 speak. It was a great talk about Member missionary work.

 

Well, for an experience this week, we went up to our investigators house and we ate Yakisoba there. He watched me the whole time because he thinks it`s so interesting watching an American eat :P haha. He was literally about a foot and a half away from my face while I was eating. It was really weird haha. Then we taught him about prayer and he was a little shy and didn`t want to do it by himself, so his member friend suggested I do it with him. I prayed and he repeated my words. It was a really interesting experience. I felt like I was teaching a child and it was a really special feeling. He wants to know and learn, he just has so little understanding at the moment. He is a man in his 70`s and very much like a child. He meekly accepts our words and his friend`s testimony and wants to believe. I felt the Spirit in the room as he did his best to pray by following my example.

Great stuff :)

 

Alright, well I`ll talk to you next week! I hope dad enjoys conclave!

 

P.S. I just realized today that the mother`s day phone call is coming up soon...that`s so fast! I remember just talking to you in Kushiro at Christmas! I can`t believe it. But I`m excited!

 

Love you!

Bye Bye!

 

Elder Sotto