Well i today i just talked to you guys. So i really dont know what to say in this email. Take that back, i do know what to say. . . Talking with you guys and the family was FREAKING AWESOME!!! I love my family so much. I am so grateful that i was able to spend time with everyone and get to talk with them. It kinda sucked that my connection was bad and that you guys couldnt here me that much. I wish i could of told you more about Japan and about me and just everything. But i loved hearing from you guys and seeing everyone. I am so blessed that i was able to SEE everyone this year not just hear your voices but actually SEE. I am glad that everybody is doing well and enjoied Christamas. Sounds like everyone had a great time and sure did enjoi everything. Everyone seemed really happy. Oh man, i am just reminicing just now and it was a great time and i througholy enjoied it. Thank you so much for a great call. Everyone was laughing and it was all just super good. Thank you.
So as you know i got a call from the zone leaders who had a interview with the stake president. The stake president said taht this ward taht i am now servign in is really mad about the missionaries. The last missionary before me was a super wamp and trunky missionary. The ward told the stake president that he always looked tired and didnt have any fire for the work at all. I really feel bad for my comp because he was comps with this missionary. This missionary was SR comp and DL. He wasnt so good. So the ZLs told me taht i have the stake president watching me know. I am a bit stressed about the situation but also very proud. I am stressed becasue i feel like the ward wants a baptism. Something they havent had in a whil. And if the missionaries dont get that baptism, we arent good enough. But after talking to my comp, we had more people on our Mission Coordination List than ever before. Which is reallly suprising to me. So hopefully the ward will see our hard work and reckonigze that we are good. I am also happy because this area had a bad missionary in it. THe only way to change peoples opinions about missionary work is bringing in someone who works hard. When i think about that i feel like president thinks i am a really good hard working missionary and that i can change this ward. I reallly feel goos when i think about it that way. Its amazing how the Lord works. It really is. I am also scared because last transfer i worked hard everyday but i didnt see in investigators or things like that. THats how come I am fasting today. I had my whole district fast on a day that best fits them to fast for the people in their area and to find those who the Lord has prepared. I really am going to fast for these people every transfer. I have made it a goal. I really want to find the elect. It makes work so much easier and funner.
My Christmas was super good by the way. I got up in the morning and opened up presents. I was super shocked to see that you wrapped all the items in the package. It kind of made it feel more like christmas. I then went to church for an hour. Came back to the apartment and did some DL stuff with stats and stuff. We then went to a members house for dinner. They gave us Chicken, Ham, and spaghetti for dinner. It was super good. It was pretty american if you ask me. We then played games with her kids. Her inlaws were theere to and they are nonmembers. I talked with the father in law the whole time. When we were leaving he kept givin us hugs and shaking our hands. I thingk we really left a good impression on him. They want us to come and eat with them again. It was a good christmas. I am glad it is over though so i dont have to think about home and stuff like that anymore. Just focus on missionary work. It makes time go by faster.
I love you guys with all my heart. I am so grateful that i was able to talk with everybody today. I hope that you all enjoied it as well. I cant wait til mothers day to do the same thing. Hopefully the connection will be better. THere isnt much else to say. I could really use your prayers this transfer becuase we are really young missionaries and dont really know what we are doing. I need to get better at the language. I think Pres has something big in plan for me. So please pray for me. I know you guys do already. i love youall and hope that you have a great New Year. Once new years hits, I will have only 1 year 1 month and 11 days til i go home. THat is so crazy. I cnt beleive how time is going by so fast. well i gots to be cutting my hair now. I love you and pray for you always. Keep it reall and STAY CLASSY!!!!
Called to serve in the Tokyo-Japan Mission
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
20 December 2011
Oh my goodness!! I dont know where to start this email. THere is so much going on and so much to say. I quesss i will just start by replying to your email first and then going from there.
SO no. I have not recieced your package and so therefore i have not opened it yet. I quess that is good cuz it would of been a huge temptation. I am glad taht you got a hold of Nick Keels. I love him so much and am super excited for this upcoming weekend. I think i will send him an email for sure to let him know what is going down.
Phone Call: So i really think your idea on the phone call is great. I will call you guys on Skype at 7:00PM, Christmas Day for you guys. That is my 11:00AM. In order for me to call you on Skype i need your skype address. So can you please give that to me? Or maybe you guys should call my skype address. That might be better for when you all are ready. My skype address is: yamatemissionaries100. Also if Skype is a HUGE fail, I need you guys to call me on my phone. Here is the extension and phone number:
ext. (011-81)080-2149-6158
I cant call you because it is super expensive so you have to call me first. but those are the numbers and things. I am also way excited to talk to you guys. oh i am exicted. It is going to be so much fun.
So your week sounds like it was pretty good. I am glad taht you went and got Kendi. I miss doing that actually. It sounds like so much fun to go to Tucson and pick her up. I am sure the food was super good to but i have to say wait until you eat some of the food that i have been making here. You will be so suprised and it willa be the best thing that you have ever eaten. I have become quite the chef here in Japan. I wish i could go to the parties with my older brothers but then agian i aint married yet so it would be pointless. You talking about movies and the theaters is way weird. when i read that i just wanted to go and i remember all the good times we had. I cant wait to do that agian. Cookies sound so good. I really want some right now but i have to watch it. We are getting fed so much right now. I have eaten so many sweets and sugary things than ever before. I cant wait to read your letter to. I want to talk to my old primary class. I loved them and loved working with them. Can you tell them i say hi? Mexican food sounds so flippin good right now. I miss Los Hermanos so much. I really want to go there agian. I cant wait til that day comes. Maybe when i come home. Thats a ways away though. It is scary aobut dad and his cancer. I hope that he doesnt have cancer anywehre else. I am happy they solved the problem early. Did you get a picture of how he looked. I would love to see them haha. How is being Cub Master? Do you still have hair left? hahaha How is Kelly and her kids doing? I hope they are all doing well. I love them so much. You made me laugh about Kellys tree and only half of it being decorated. HTat was super funny. Aunt Lynne sent me a package that had a Christmas tree in it. It Is way awesome. SO now i have a little christmas tree. I like it alot. I have been putting my presents under it. Haha
So i have not yet recieved the Christmas Card but i am suepr excited to get it. I want to use it as my family picture. I think it will be a good one. I am glad everyone likes it.
I cant believe this is goin to be Bugs last christmas before he goes on his mission. He doesnt leave for like a year. That is so crazy to be thinking about. Oh so weird. I am excited for him though. My mission party was super fun. All the zones had to play skits and stuff like that. Our skit was based on the Lessons and planting the seed of Faith. I got to play the devil in tempting the investigator. It was great fun. After that we had tons of food. SO much food. SO good. THen we had a Fireside from Kent Derricott. HE served here in Japan in the '70's and then became a TV star after his mission. SO he is super famous in Japan. It was good to hear him and listen to his advice. His daughter was in my MTC group too. My interview with president was good.He just asked me questions like if i was worthy, happy, and stuff like that. He then asked how he could help me. We talked about lovving ourselves too. He said taht he really thought about me when he was giving that training. That explains the last letter from him i sent you. I have realized that i have been out for almost one year. I ahve like 10 weeks before i hit that mark. It is so crazy mom. Time has been going by so fast lately. I am on my 6th transfer now. CRAZY. On christmas day, i will be in Japan for 7 months. Then on January 9th i will be on my mission for 10 months. it is so weird. Thinking about next christmas is just weird it is so far away. I dont want to think about it so i wont.
So my week since wednesday has been pretty full. I have had more all you can eats and more members and a very suprising weekend. THursday we had the christmas party which took all day and it was a blsast. I ahve a cool video of my skit i will be sending home soon. Friday was just a pretty normal day. Then saturday came. Saturday was transfer call day. 3 things happend. 1) i thought i was stayin in my area becasue i had only been there for 1 transfer but the Lord thinks differently. I have been moved to a place called Yamate. It is where the chruch 1st started in Japan. So that is way cool. I am walking whre Heber J. Grant did. I was super suprised. Yamate is also the Beverly Hills of Japan. SO my first area was Shibuya which is the New York of Japan and now i am in Yamate the Beverly hills of Japan. Ya. Here in Yamate is where they film all the Japanese movies. SO it is super rich. We have a really famous movie star in our ward. It is also the smallest area in my mission. I am way excited but kinda bumbed becasue i really liked my last ward. And christmas is my 1st sunday in the ward. I dont know anybody and dont have realationship with anybody so it could be a bit lonely. But it is just a day and i will have fun. It can be way fun if i make it fun which i am planning on doing. 2) I am with a transfer 4 missionary. I am the older missionary.That is really scary. I am only on transfer 6. My japanese isnt that good so i am scared about it a bit. I can really use the prayers. My new comp is Elder Crowther. He is from Sanford, Colorado. We are going to get along great. He played football, worked on a ranch and likes that kind of stuff, and we jsut have a bunch of stuff in common. He is by far the companion that i have had the most in common with. He is bigger than me but this morning i kicked his but in working out and running. Hahaha. It is going to be tons of fun though and i am way excited. He really has fire to do work and that is what i like. I am just a bit scared about hte language. and 3) I am the District Leader. What a christams gift, right? new area, new comp, and DL. I am way nervous about this one.Not only do i have to take care of a younger missionary but a whole district too. I am way scared. I have no clue what to do. I have never been in a position wher i have to train people on being missionaries. It is a huge resposiblity. I could really use some advice from my RM siblings. It is going to be a fun and hard transfer. I quess this is what i get for being with missionaries who have held only high postions. Everyone is saying next transfer i will be a Zone Leader. But how can they tell, That is 6 weeks away. I hope i gave all you guys a laugh and we can talk about it more on the phone.
Well, i sure love you mom. I really can use everyones prayers and all that jazz. I hope to have a wonderful christmas. I have been loving it out here. Yesterday a missionary asked me if i was excited to call my family. Of course i am but i hadnt really thoguht about it. I have been having so much fun doing work and telling people why christmas is important. I havent really htought at all about what is going on at home. I love you guys with all my heart but i fully committed myself to my misison. So in result i have faith that you guys are doing well and dont think about you as often as i did. Sunday i felt a real spirit of Christmas and of love. We went to give a blessing to a lady who has a part member family. I think i told you about them already.They are peruvian. Anyway, they are moving so they wanted us to give the mom a blessing becasue seh was having internal problems. I anointed her and then my comp gave her a blessing in spanish. I could feel the spirit and knew it was good. She was crying also. After the blessing we were talking about her sons baptism and she told us tht he wasnt the only one to be getting baptism and then looked at her husband. THen her husband a nonmember told us that he is going to get baptised when his son does. It was amazing. I just thought about all the poepel that i ahve been able to help that have recieved baptism. Even though i didnt baptize them, i helped them and broughtr them to Christ. Of course i would love to say i baptized someone, but if i dont, saying that so and so number of poeple got baptized taht i got to teach is awesome and that is what matters. How many poeple you HELPED come unto christ. I love this gospel. I love my mission. I love my family and the covenants we have made to be together forever. I cant wait to talk to you all. Take care and have a Merry Christmas.
SO no. I have not recieced your package and so therefore i have not opened it yet. I quess that is good cuz it would of been a huge temptation. I am glad taht you got a hold of Nick Keels. I love him so much and am super excited for this upcoming weekend. I think i will send him an email for sure to let him know what is going down.
Phone Call: So i really think your idea on the phone call is great. I will call you guys on Skype at 7:00PM, Christmas Day for you guys. That is my 11:00AM. In order for me to call you on Skype i need your skype address. So can you please give that to me? Or maybe you guys should call my skype address. That might be better for when you all are ready. My skype address is: yamatemissionaries100. Also if Skype is a HUGE fail, I need you guys to call me on my phone. Here is the extension and phone number:
ext. (011-81)080-2149-6158
I cant call you because it is super expensive so you have to call me first. but those are the numbers and things. I am also way excited to talk to you guys. oh i am exicted. It is going to be so much fun.
So your week sounds like it was pretty good. I am glad taht you went and got Kendi. I miss doing that actually. It sounds like so much fun to go to Tucson and pick her up. I am sure the food was super good to but i have to say wait until you eat some of the food that i have been making here. You will be so suprised and it willa be the best thing that you have ever eaten. I have become quite the chef here in Japan. I wish i could go to the parties with my older brothers but then agian i aint married yet so it would be pointless. You talking about movies and the theaters is way weird. when i read that i just wanted to go and i remember all the good times we had. I cant wait to do that agian. Cookies sound so good. I really want some right now but i have to watch it. We are getting fed so much right now. I have eaten so many sweets and sugary things than ever before. I cant wait to read your letter to. I want to talk to my old primary class. I loved them and loved working with them. Can you tell them i say hi? Mexican food sounds so flippin good right now. I miss Los Hermanos so much. I really want to go there agian. I cant wait til that day comes. Maybe when i come home. Thats a ways away though. It is scary aobut dad and his cancer. I hope that he doesnt have cancer anywehre else. I am happy they solved the problem early. Did you get a picture of how he looked. I would love to see them haha. How is being Cub Master? Do you still have hair left? hahaha How is Kelly and her kids doing? I hope they are all doing well. I love them so much. You made me laugh about Kellys tree and only half of it being decorated. HTat was super funny. Aunt Lynne sent me a package that had a Christmas tree in it. It Is way awesome. SO now i have a little christmas tree. I like it alot. I have been putting my presents under it. Haha
So i have not yet recieved the Christmas Card but i am suepr excited to get it. I want to use it as my family picture. I think it will be a good one. I am glad everyone likes it.
I cant believe this is goin to be Bugs last christmas before he goes on his mission. He doesnt leave for like a year. That is so crazy to be thinking about. Oh so weird. I am excited for him though. My mission party was super fun. All the zones had to play skits and stuff like that. Our skit was based on the Lessons and planting the seed of Faith. I got to play the devil in tempting the investigator. It was great fun. After that we had tons of food. SO much food. SO good. THen we had a Fireside from Kent Derricott. HE served here in Japan in the '70's and then became a TV star after his mission. SO he is super famous in Japan. It was good to hear him and listen to his advice. His daughter was in my MTC group too. My interview with president was good.He just asked me questions like if i was worthy, happy, and stuff like that. He then asked how he could help me. We talked about lovving ourselves too. He said taht he really thought about me when he was giving that training. That explains the last letter from him i sent you. I have realized that i have been out for almost one year. I ahve like 10 weeks before i hit that mark. It is so crazy mom. Time has been going by so fast lately. I am on my 6th transfer now. CRAZY. On christmas day, i will be in Japan for 7 months. Then on January 9th i will be on my mission for 10 months. it is so weird. Thinking about next christmas is just weird it is so far away. I dont want to think about it so i wont.
So my week since wednesday has been pretty full. I have had more all you can eats and more members and a very suprising weekend. THursday we had the christmas party which took all day and it was a blsast. I ahve a cool video of my skit i will be sending home soon. Friday was just a pretty normal day. Then saturday came. Saturday was transfer call day. 3 things happend. 1) i thought i was stayin in my area becasue i had only been there for 1 transfer but the Lord thinks differently. I have been moved to a place called Yamate. It is where the chruch 1st started in Japan. So that is way cool. I am walking whre Heber J. Grant did. I was super suprised. Yamate is also the Beverly Hills of Japan. SO my first area was Shibuya which is the New York of Japan and now i am in Yamate the Beverly hills of Japan. Ya. Here in Yamate is where they film all the Japanese movies. SO it is super rich. We have a really famous movie star in our ward. It is also the smallest area in my mission. I am way excited but kinda bumbed becasue i really liked my last ward. And christmas is my 1st sunday in the ward. I dont know anybody and dont have realationship with anybody so it could be a bit lonely. But it is just a day and i will have fun. It can be way fun if i make it fun which i am planning on doing. 2) I am with a transfer 4 missionary. I am the older missionary.That is really scary. I am only on transfer 6. My japanese isnt that good so i am scared about it a bit. I can really use the prayers. My new comp is Elder Crowther. He is from Sanford, Colorado. We are going to get along great. He played football, worked on a ranch and likes that kind of stuff, and we jsut have a bunch of stuff in common. He is by far the companion that i have had the most in common with. He is bigger than me but this morning i kicked his but in working out and running. Hahaha. It is going to be tons of fun though and i am way excited. He really has fire to do work and that is what i like. I am just a bit scared about hte language. and 3) I am the District Leader. What a christams gift, right? new area, new comp, and DL. I am way nervous about this one.Not only do i have to take care of a younger missionary but a whole district too. I am way scared. I have no clue what to do. I have never been in a position wher i have to train people on being missionaries. It is a huge resposiblity. I could really use some advice from my RM siblings. It is going to be a fun and hard transfer. I quess this is what i get for being with missionaries who have held only high postions. Everyone is saying next transfer i will be a Zone Leader. But how can they tell, That is 6 weeks away. I hope i gave all you guys a laugh and we can talk about it more on the phone.
Well, i sure love you mom. I really can use everyones prayers and all that jazz. I hope to have a wonderful christmas. I have been loving it out here. Yesterday a missionary asked me if i was excited to call my family. Of course i am but i hadnt really thoguht about it. I have been having so much fun doing work and telling people why christmas is important. I havent really htought at all about what is going on at home. I love you guys with all my heart but i fully committed myself to my misison. So in result i have faith that you guys are doing well and dont think about you as often as i did. Sunday i felt a real spirit of Christmas and of love. We went to give a blessing to a lady who has a part member family. I think i told you about them already.They are peruvian. Anyway, they are moving so they wanted us to give the mom a blessing becasue seh was having internal problems. I anointed her and then my comp gave her a blessing in spanish. I could feel the spirit and knew it was good. She was crying also. After the blessing we were talking about her sons baptism and she told us tht he wasnt the only one to be getting baptism and then looked at her husband. THen her husband a nonmember told us that he is going to get baptised when his son does. It was amazing. I just thought about all the poepel that i ahve been able to help that have recieved baptism. Even though i didnt baptize them, i helped them and broughtr them to Christ. Of course i would love to say i baptized someone, but if i dont, saying that so and so number of poeple got baptized taht i got to teach is awesome and that is what matters. How many poeple you HELPED come unto christ. I love this gospel. I love my mission. I love my family and the covenants we have made to be together forever. I cant wait to talk to you all. Take care and have a Merry Christmas.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
13 December 2011
Sorry that this email is getting to you so late. Yesterday was a super busy day and i had no time whatsoever to email. As you can tell this is to the both of ya's becasue i am lacking on time today too. Sorry! Next week you guys should get your individual emails like normal. But i am very grateful to have gotten emails from you guys.
You guys both sounded like you had a awesome week. It sucks for boo and marilyn gettting that big of a ticket right before christmas. Oh well what can you do? I am super stoked for Justin and his new job. That is so amazing. I am so excited for him.
Its way good and such an awesome christmas gift right? What a blessing!
Dad, i bet taht new wall looks really good uh? Dont worry about being bored either. Now that i think of it, i dont think i have ever been bored while being on my mission. besides the MTC. I have been so busy all the time that i dont think about that stuff very often anymore. Mom, I laughed out loud when i read your new calling. THat is so funny. I knew it was only going to be time before you got a calling in scouts. I am so excited for you. Its going to be fun to hear about this over emails. I am sure you are going to love and hate it. Maybe expirence what all of us boys had to go through. hahaha
Sorry you guys spent so much money at the rodeo. I am happy that you guys had a bunch of fun. WHat was one really cool thing that happened at the rodeo this year? I cant beleive taht over a year ago i was at taht. The year has gone by so fast. so CRAZY!!
So the weather has finally gotten cold in teh ol AZ??? About time! It is so flippin cold here. It has been below freezing a couple of times during the day! WAY TO COLD!!! I freeze all the time in the apartment becasue i dont have any like sweaters or coats. It sucks. I have been saving up to buy a sweater to wear in the moring and a night but they are so dang expensive. I dont have the money for it yet. I did have enough to buy a pair of really nice warm pajamas those. They are a bit small for my taste though. guess thats what you get for being big in a small country.
Its good to hear that the newly weds are still together and getting along. I am so excited to tallk to them. And to everyone else too. I had a dream that i met Brie in person and it was super weird. Like she came up ot me and talked to me and stuff and in felt so real. It was really weird. I have been having wierd dreams lately but they are a good weird. They feel so real. Like last night my dream was President Monson was with me at home showing me stuff and giving me advice. It was awesome. but i dont remember much of it. I also had one about Bug!
I am glad that you guys are still being blessed. I know that you will continue to be blessed. I am being blessed also even though they are hard to find, i can find and see them. I also look forward to haivng so many more memories and expirences with you and the rest of the family. Its going to be EPIC!!! The thought of having a eternal family has been really appealing to me lately also. I have had a couple of convos with other elders about it and it just is all positvie and i am super happy for one.
So my week was super super fast. I cant believe how fast its going. I am on my last week in transfer 5. Yup next week is transfer calls again. Came way quick. I can become 3 things now. A trainer, District leader or a Zone Leader. I think i will stay in the area that i am in though. I will find out on Saturday. President sure has been hinting to something special though. You will see in his letter to me this week. I am going on transfer 6. So crazy!!! Going by way fast.
Anyways last week was good but also disappointing. Tuesday i went on splits. It was amazing. I watched the Testemants in japanese. I was really scared at first because it was in japanese and i wasnt going to understand. I was suprised casue i understood alot of it. The best part was when Jesus came to the Americas and starting to minister. I felt the spirit the strongest i have ever felt it in my mission. At that moment i knew that i was supposed to be in Japan. You gotta remember that the video was in Japanese. Just goes to show that the Spirit has no language boundries. It brought me to tears. It was so amazing. I cant even describe it over an email. Thursday i was on splits agian but this time with a transfer 1 missionary. It was way fun. He is Korean. He taught me how to write our name in Korean. It looks so much cooler than in Japanese. Maybe thats becausee i have gotten used to the Japanese way. But it was intresting to see how a first transfer missionary acts and stuff. He reminded me alot of me whn i was a 1 transfer missionary. It made me feel bad becasue i knew i was a lot worse. It was super fun struggling together though. He made me way good Korean food too. I love Kimchi. It is so good. Friday i got up and it was snowing. It totally reminded me of the MTC. I hated it becaus i couldnt go running. There is a rumor around the mission about me and my exercise stuff. Its really funny. no missionary likes going on splits with me because i make them run with me. Apparently i am like the only one on the mission that runs every morning. I think i run 5 kilometers everyday. I run for 25 minutes a day at a very high pace. It is so good and i look forward to it. It is a good time for me to think. I then work out hard core for 45-60 minutes. Its really intense over here in Nihon that the samurai cant even keep up with me. Hahaha!!! I had a interview with President. I love him so much. He is an awesome guy. After that we planned for our week. It was super intense too. We had a family of 4 coming to church so we planned for them becasue we wanted them to get baptized on Christmas. it was intense. We a planned everything. Then on Saturday we called them and they said they couldnt come because theri son got sick. IT SUCKED!!!! It was so depressing. oh well that is life and hopefully they weill come this sunday. We did have 1 gator come to church though. I also sang in Sacrament. It was fun. Monday we had District Meeting and District lunch where we found an alll you cna eat. SO i stuffed my face in and then i had a dinner with a member that night. Yester day i went to hte Temple. It was amazing. I felt super good. We then went to a all you can eat Pizza place in Shibuya (my 1st area) Then we had another all you cna eat at a members house last night too. It has been crzy!!! I need to take it easy for awhile. I have eaten so much food. It is destroying my weight. All is well though. I recieved a package from the Enghs today and it had a christmas tree and stuff in it. I have already set it up and it is BOMB! I also recieved your letter and a card from Grandma VDG. Thank you!!!
So that pretty much brings you guys up to date on everything. I love you all so much. i am so grateful for everything that you guys do for me. I want to let you know one last thing. I have been really feeling Satans inflence and cunning ways lately. I am grateful i have beeen able to discern them though. He really does find stuff that you care about and them turns them into a worry. For example, I was thinking about baptisms and success. (like every missionary does) I have told myself in the past that the numbers of baptism dont matter. Then i started to think about my companions. I have had companions so far that have seeen baptisms. But when i was with them we didnt. THen Satan cunning ways came in. He told me that it was because of me that they didnt see any baptism. The good missionary was with me to fix me as a missionary and taht i was a failure. I know that that isnt true at all. I am so grateful that i was able to shut that door right away and tell him to bugg off. He really does work in cunning ways and we have to be careful. I love this gospel so much and know that Jesus lives. He really is there for everyone of us and knows us and wants to help us. We just have to accept his help.
I love you guys so much. I havent recieve a package yet but it is coming i know it. I have Pday next week on TUESDAY. I will let you guys konw for sure on what goes down this upcoming Transfer Calls. It is such an exciting time. I love it. I love you guys even more. I hope you all have a great and safe week. I look forward to calling you all. Like sadi before. I think i am going to do it on the 26th for me and taht is Christmas day for you guys. I will call over Skype and if that sucks then i will call on the phone. I will tell you guys all hte final details next week. Please tell Nick Keels though. I love you all and pray for ya everynight. God be with you always!!! I know that he is!!!
You guys both sounded like you had a awesome week. It sucks for boo and marilyn gettting that big of a ticket right before christmas. Oh well what can you do? I am super stoked for Justin and his new job. That is so amazing. I am so excited for him.
Its way good and such an awesome christmas gift right? What a blessing!
Dad, i bet taht new wall looks really good uh? Dont worry about being bored either. Now that i think of it, i dont think i have ever been bored while being on my mission. besides the MTC. I have been so busy all the time that i dont think about that stuff very often anymore. Mom, I laughed out loud when i read your new calling. THat is so funny. I knew it was only going to be time before you got a calling in scouts. I am so excited for you. Its going to be fun to hear about this over emails. I am sure you are going to love and hate it. Maybe expirence what all of us boys had to go through. hahaha
Sorry you guys spent so much money at the rodeo. I am happy that you guys had a bunch of fun. WHat was one really cool thing that happened at the rodeo this year? I cant beleive taht over a year ago i was at taht. The year has gone by so fast. so CRAZY!!
So the weather has finally gotten cold in teh ol AZ??? About time! It is so flippin cold here. It has been below freezing a couple of times during the day! WAY TO COLD!!! I freeze all the time in the apartment becasue i dont have any like sweaters or coats. It sucks. I have been saving up to buy a sweater to wear in the moring and a night but they are so dang expensive. I dont have the money for it yet. I did have enough to buy a pair of really nice warm pajamas those. They are a bit small for my taste though. guess thats what you get for being big in a small country.
Its good to hear that the newly weds are still together and getting along. I am so excited to tallk to them. And to everyone else too. I had a dream that i met Brie in person and it was super weird. Like she came up ot me and talked to me and stuff and in felt so real. It was really weird. I have been having wierd dreams lately but they are a good weird. They feel so real. Like last night my dream was President Monson was with me at home showing me stuff and giving me advice. It was awesome. but i dont remember much of it. I also had one about Bug!
I am glad that you guys are still being blessed. I know that you will continue to be blessed. I am being blessed also even though they are hard to find, i can find and see them. I also look forward to haivng so many more memories and expirences with you and the rest of the family. Its going to be EPIC!!! The thought of having a eternal family has been really appealing to me lately also. I have had a couple of convos with other elders about it and it just is all positvie and i am super happy for one.
So my week was super super fast. I cant believe how fast its going. I am on my last week in transfer 5. Yup next week is transfer calls again. Came way quick. I can become 3 things now. A trainer, District leader or a Zone Leader. I think i will stay in the area that i am in though. I will find out on Saturday. President sure has been hinting to something special though. You will see in his letter to me this week. I am going on transfer 6. So crazy!!! Going by way fast.
Anyways last week was good but also disappointing. Tuesday i went on splits. It was amazing. I watched the Testemants in japanese. I was really scared at first because it was in japanese and i wasnt going to understand. I was suprised casue i understood alot of it. The best part was when Jesus came to the Americas and starting to minister. I felt the spirit the strongest i have ever felt it in my mission. At that moment i knew that i was supposed to be in Japan. You gotta remember that the video was in Japanese. Just goes to show that the Spirit has no language boundries. It brought me to tears. It was so amazing. I cant even describe it over an email. Thursday i was on splits agian but this time with a transfer 1 missionary. It was way fun. He is Korean. He taught me how to write our name in Korean. It looks so much cooler than in Japanese. Maybe thats becausee i have gotten used to the Japanese way. But it was intresting to see how a first transfer missionary acts and stuff. He reminded me alot of me whn i was a 1 transfer missionary. It made me feel bad becasue i knew i was a lot worse. It was super fun struggling together though. He made me way good Korean food too. I love Kimchi. It is so good. Friday i got up and it was snowing. It totally reminded me of the MTC. I hated it becaus i couldnt go running. There is a rumor around the mission about me and my exercise stuff. Its really funny. no missionary likes going on splits with me because i make them run with me. Apparently i am like the only one on the mission that runs every morning. I think i run 5 kilometers everyday. I run for 25 minutes a day at a very high pace. It is so good and i look forward to it. It is a good time for me to think. I then work out hard core for 45-60 minutes. Its really intense over here in Nihon that the samurai cant even keep up with me. Hahaha!!! I had a interview with President. I love him so much. He is an awesome guy. After that we planned for our week. It was super intense too. We had a family of 4 coming to church so we planned for them becasue we wanted them to get baptized on Christmas. it was intense. We a planned everything. Then on Saturday we called them and they said they couldnt come because theri son got sick. IT SUCKED!!!! It was so depressing. oh well that is life and hopefully they weill come this sunday. We did have 1 gator come to church though. I also sang in Sacrament. It was fun. Monday we had District Meeting and District lunch where we found an alll you cna eat. SO i stuffed my face in and then i had a dinner with a member that night. Yester day i went to hte Temple. It was amazing. I felt super good. We then went to a all you can eat Pizza place in Shibuya (my 1st area) Then we had another all you cna eat at a members house last night too. It has been crzy!!! I need to take it easy for awhile. I have eaten so much food. It is destroying my weight. All is well though. I recieved a package from the Enghs today and it had a christmas tree and stuff in it. I have already set it up and it is BOMB! I also recieved your letter and a card from Grandma VDG. Thank you!!!
So that pretty much brings you guys up to date on everything. I love you all so much. i am so grateful for everything that you guys do for me. I want to let you know one last thing. I have been really feeling Satans inflence and cunning ways lately. I am grateful i have beeen able to discern them though. He really does find stuff that you care about and them turns them into a worry. For example, I was thinking about baptisms and success. (like every missionary does) I have told myself in the past that the numbers of baptism dont matter. Then i started to think about my companions. I have had companions so far that have seeen baptisms. But when i was with them we didnt. THen Satan cunning ways came in. He told me that it was because of me that they didnt see any baptism. The good missionary was with me to fix me as a missionary and taht i was a failure. I know that that isnt true at all. I am so grateful that i was able to shut that door right away and tell him to bugg off. He really does work in cunning ways and we have to be careful. I love this gospel so much and know that Jesus lives. He really is there for everyone of us and knows us and wants to help us. We just have to accept his help.
I love you guys so much. I havent recieve a package yet but it is coming i know it. I have Pday next week on TUESDAY. I will let you guys konw for sure on what goes down this upcoming Transfer Calls. It is such an exciting time. I love it. I love you guys even more. I hope you all have a great and safe week. I look forward to calling you all. Like sadi before. I think i am going to do it on the 26th for me and taht is Christmas day for you guys. I will call over Skype and if that sucks then i will call on the phone. I will tell you guys all hte final details next week. Please tell Nick Keels though. I love you all and pray for ya everynight. God be with you always!!! I know that he is!!!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
letter to pops on 05 december 2011
Pops!!!
Thanks for your letter and remembering me! I really apprecitated it. I love hearing from you and what went down in the week from your side of veiw.
THis week went by way fast. I think it is going by faster and faster the more i enjoi it. BUt it is awesome. I am loving it. THis week it rained twice all day both days. It was so cold too. Really close to freezing acutally. SO it is super cold in the apartemnt too. I cant stand it. Just way to cold for me. THe AZ heat is startign to sound really inticing. Or i mean summer time. Just heat in general.
I was on splits twice this week adn came to realiment taht i really like japan and the things in it. I really do. It is a really funny place when you take the time to slow down and look around to see waht there is. Like, Mullets are huge here. It is super funny. I really enjoi seeing stuff liek that. I have started a list of things that i like about Japan. It is gettting quite full.
Saturday we went to a spanish speaking party. Once again, i really wish i learned spanish before my mission. IT is crazy to think how useful it would of been to know. There are so many spanish speakers from Peru here. Its amazing. There is one city here called Oizumi. It si just Brazilians. Everythign is written in brazilian. THey say when you walk down the streets you will just see brazilians. It is crzy to see how many people from south america are here. You will have to tell me more about the Air force schooling process and stuff liek that later so dont forget.
So yesterday at church i met a guy who knew Wayne while he was on his mission. You will have to ask Wayne if he knew a member whose name was Akira Amano. He was in the mission presidency or something like that. It was way cool because he sadi taht he had heard my name before and taht he had a signiture from a Elder Van De Graaff in his Journal. Then he spelled out Waynes name for me. It was awesome. I have been waitin so long to meet someone who knew him or Larry. Talk about miracles.
I sure love you with everyting i got. I want to let you know that i am having a blast here in Japan and that i think it kicks the Rodeos butt. But i am excited to hear aobut hte rodeo and cant wait to go again. Have fun there. I cant believe taht was a year ago. Way to fast. You are in my prayers. Have a good and safe week.
Thanks for your letter and remembering me! I really apprecitated it. I love hearing from you and what went down in the week from your side of veiw.
THis week went by way fast. I think it is going by faster and faster the more i enjoi it. BUt it is awesome. I am loving it. THis week it rained twice all day both days. It was so cold too. Really close to freezing acutally. SO it is super cold in the apartemnt too. I cant stand it. Just way to cold for me. THe AZ heat is startign to sound really inticing. Or i mean summer time. Just heat in general.
I was on splits twice this week adn came to realiment taht i really like japan and the things in it. I really do. It is a really funny place when you take the time to slow down and look around to see waht there is. Like, Mullets are huge here. It is super funny. I really enjoi seeing stuff liek that. I have started a list of things that i like about Japan. It is gettting quite full.
Saturday we went to a spanish speaking party. Once again, i really wish i learned spanish before my mission. IT is crazy to think how useful it would of been to know. There are so many spanish speakers from Peru here. Its amazing. There is one city here called Oizumi. It si just Brazilians. Everythign is written in brazilian. THey say when you walk down the streets you will just see brazilians. It is crzy to see how many people from south america are here. You will have to tell me more about the Air force schooling process and stuff liek that later so dont forget.
So yesterday at church i met a guy who knew Wayne while he was on his mission. You will have to ask Wayne if he knew a member whose name was Akira Amano. He was in the mission presidency or something like that. It was way cool because he sadi taht he had heard my name before and taht he had a signiture from a Elder Van De Graaff in his Journal. Then he spelled out Waynes name for me. It was awesome. I have been waitin so long to meet someone who knew him or Larry. Talk about miracles.
I sure love you with everyting i got. I want to let you know that i am having a blast here in Japan and that i think it kicks the Rodeos butt. But i am excited to hear aobut hte rodeo and cant wait to go again. Have fun there. I cant believe taht was a year ago. Way to fast. You are in my prayers. Have a good and safe week.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Quick Words
Kurt seems to be doing so well on his mission! I cannot believe that he has been gone as long as he has. I miss him so much already.
I know that Christmas is just around the corner, and it is going to be so weird not having him around on Christmas morning. I have spent Christmas with Kurt every single year of his life! It is going to be quite an emotional thing to not have him there this year. But I know that he is out doing the right thing. He is becoming the man he wants to be by serving the lord and helping those of Japan find their way. What greater miracle and Christmas gift is there? Than to remember the Lord during this Holiday season.
Thank you Kurt and all the other missionaries serving the lord and bringing true Christmas joy to those around the world.
I know that Christmas is just around the corner, and it is going to be so weird not having him around on Christmas morning. I have spent Christmas with Kurt every single year of his life! It is going to be quite an emotional thing to not have him there this year. But I know that he is out doing the right thing. He is becoming the man he wants to be by serving the lord and helping those of Japan find their way. What greater miracle and Christmas gift is there? Than to remember the Lord during this Holiday season.
Thank you Kurt and all the other missionaries serving the lord and bringing true Christmas joy to those around the world.
05 December 2011
So ya, Christmas is right around the corner. Isnt that awesome. THings here for me too are piling up. I have so much on my plate. Yesterday we got a whole lot of things dumped onto us that will keep us busy. I am glad that you sent me my package. I am excited to get it. I heard Christiaan got his and already opened it. I was thinking about taht this morning while doing sit ups. If i was going to open it when i get it or wait til christmas. I dont know. I think i might. . .
So i am excited for you guys to go to Kendi's concert. I remember going to those. I really enjoied going to them and spending time with the family and getting some free good food. I cant believe that the rodeo is this week. WOW. Time has really gone by so fast. i remember so clearly last year and Kamas and Bug got sick and i had to give my 1st blessin in Las Vegas.Good times. I cant believe that it has gone by so fast. it sucks that Justin and Janalyn cant go. It would of been fun if they could of gone. BUt i am sure boo and Marilyn will have a blast too. I brag to people all the time about the rodeo adn how fun it is. i cant wait to go again.
I am so mad at bug!!! I want to be good at art like him and just get money like it is nothing. It would be an awesome talent to have. I am glad atht he made it home safely adn taht no one in the valley got killed. ANd that your car is safe!!!! I want some pictures to see some of Bugs art and see what he has done.
I am glad that dad made some good food. That sounds so good. I try to expirement with the food i got here. Everyone seems to liek it. I want to make some things taht dad does though. I really want to have some of dads good food. I miss it so much. But i enjoy the food that i get.
My week was awesome!! I went on splits twice. While i was on splits i really came to know that i like japan. There is alot of things here that i like. FOr example, in every food related item, they have the nutrition value of it. IT is really nice. But ya. It was super good. It rained pretty hard for 2 days straight though and it was the coldest days i have expirenced thus far. It was freezing. Saturday i went to a Lunch for a Peruvian half and her family. She wants her son to be baptized when he turns 8 in april but here is teh catch. She wants her husband ot be baptized on the smae day. It was awesome and we gave such a good lesson. The family was so loud and not japanese at all. IT was so much fun. BUt there was a problem, THey spoke Spanish and i dont. SO it was fun to hear spanish with japanese mingled in. I can definatley tell i have improved becasue i was looking for the moments when they spoke japanese.Hahaha it was fun and i loved it. I am learning quite a bit of spanish though. IT is fun. So yesterday at church i met a guy who knew another Elder Van De Graaff in the north mission. Uncle wayne served up in the north mission. I cant believe that i finally met someone who knew my uncle when he was a missionary. THat was kinda cool.
Dont worry mom. I have been thinking about christmas alot. I am so excited ot be where i am this year for christmas. It has such a different meaning to me than ever before. Ya, i really want a package but to tell the truth, i havent really focused on it. Since Christmas is on sunday, i really want to have a baptismal service. I really want to bring these peopel this wonderful message. Yersterday i bore my testimony and i felt the spirit so strong. I was telling them that everytime i am having a hard day and i go and try to tell the people about our church and Jesus Christ, i become Happy. THis work really makes me happy. I could feel the spirit tell me that that was true too. I cannot deny it. So i am way excited to be serving my mission on a christmas. THis year is going to be so fun. I am so excited. It is funny that you were talking about fear. TOdya i finished the Book of Mormon. In one of the last chapters it talks about perfect love casting out fear. Infact it is Moroni 8:16 when mormon is talking to his son about being bold. I thought to myslef that when i have perfect love, i will be bold and not be afraid to share with anyone about this gospel. IT is funny. I apply thta when i go streeting and housing. I will stop anyone. I dont care what they look like or who they are with. THey need thsi message. I am also so glad about your knowledge about me not going astray and having faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. IN Moroni 8 it, Mormon talks to Moroni and says "My Beloved son, MOroni ,I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry and to his work. I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end." That is the 2nd and 3rd verse in Moroni 8. I know that you guys are praying for me and are so happy that i am here where i am. I wouldnt have it anyother way. I told you before and i will tellyou agian. I love my mission and i have told myself taht i will not come home. i love you so much. I am really excited for christmas to come and so i can call you. It is going to be AWESOME and EPIC!!!
Thank you for everything that you do for me mom. You really are awesome. DOnt kill yourself with all htat you have to do. Ill pray for you and your safety adn the safety of the family as well. I love all of you guys so much. I am so grateful that you are my family. For the christmas call. I will probably be calling you on YOUR Christmas day. So taht will be the 26th for me. I dont know what time yet. But this is how it is going to work. I will first call you on Skype. adn if the connection is bad and it isnt working, i will call you on the phone. I will let you guys on the further details when it gets closer. But i am for sure i will be calling on YOUR christmas. SO please let everyone including Nick Keels know so taht they can be there. I really cant wait. ITs going to be awesome. I love you so much and am so grateful for you. I hope that you have an awesome week adn taht you enjoi it. DOnt forgetme at the rodeo. haha. I cant wait til next week to talk to you again. God be with you always!!!!
Ai o Komete
So i am excited for you guys to go to Kendi's concert. I remember going to those. I really enjoied going to them and spending time with the family and getting some free good food. I cant believe that the rodeo is this week. WOW. Time has really gone by so fast. i remember so clearly last year and Kamas and Bug got sick and i had to give my 1st blessin in Las Vegas.Good times. I cant believe that it has gone by so fast. it sucks that Justin and Janalyn cant go. It would of been fun if they could of gone. BUt i am sure boo and Marilyn will have a blast too. I brag to people all the time about the rodeo adn how fun it is. i cant wait to go again.
I am so mad at bug!!! I want to be good at art like him and just get money like it is nothing. It would be an awesome talent to have. I am glad atht he made it home safely adn taht no one in the valley got killed. ANd that your car is safe!!!! I want some pictures to see some of Bugs art and see what he has done.
I am glad that dad made some good food. That sounds so good. I try to expirement with the food i got here. Everyone seems to liek it. I want to make some things taht dad does though. I really want to have some of dads good food. I miss it so much. But i enjoy the food that i get.
My week was awesome!! I went on splits twice. While i was on splits i really came to know that i like japan. There is alot of things here that i like. FOr example, in every food related item, they have the nutrition value of it. IT is really nice. But ya. It was super good. It rained pretty hard for 2 days straight though and it was the coldest days i have expirenced thus far. It was freezing. Saturday i went to a Lunch for a Peruvian half and her family. She wants her son to be baptized when he turns 8 in april but here is teh catch. She wants her husband ot be baptized on the smae day. It was awesome and we gave such a good lesson. The family was so loud and not japanese at all. IT was so much fun. BUt there was a problem, THey spoke Spanish and i dont. SO it was fun to hear spanish with japanese mingled in. I can definatley tell i have improved becasue i was looking for the moments when they spoke japanese.Hahaha it was fun and i loved it. I am learning quite a bit of spanish though. IT is fun. So yesterday at church i met a guy who knew another Elder Van De Graaff in the north mission. Uncle wayne served up in the north mission. I cant believe that i finally met someone who knew my uncle when he was a missionary. THat was kinda cool.
Dont worry mom. I have been thinking about christmas alot. I am so excited ot be where i am this year for christmas. It has such a different meaning to me than ever before. Ya, i really want a package but to tell the truth, i havent really focused on it. Since Christmas is on sunday, i really want to have a baptismal service. I really want to bring these peopel this wonderful message. Yersterday i bore my testimony and i felt the spirit so strong. I was telling them that everytime i am having a hard day and i go and try to tell the people about our church and Jesus Christ, i become Happy. THis work really makes me happy. I could feel the spirit tell me that that was true too. I cannot deny it. So i am way excited to be serving my mission on a christmas. THis year is going to be so fun. I am so excited. It is funny that you were talking about fear. TOdya i finished the Book of Mormon. In one of the last chapters it talks about perfect love casting out fear. Infact it is Moroni 8:16 when mormon is talking to his son about being bold. I thought to myslef that when i have perfect love, i will be bold and not be afraid to share with anyone about this gospel. IT is funny. I apply thta when i go streeting and housing. I will stop anyone. I dont care what they look like or who they are with. THey need thsi message. I am also so glad about your knowledge about me not going astray and having faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. IN Moroni 8 it, Mormon talks to Moroni and says "My Beloved son, MOroni ,I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry and to his work. I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end." That is the 2nd and 3rd verse in Moroni 8. I know that you guys are praying for me and are so happy that i am here where i am. I wouldnt have it anyother way. I told you before and i will tellyou agian. I love my mission and i have told myself taht i will not come home. i love you so much. I am really excited for christmas to come and so i can call you. It is going to be AWESOME and EPIC!!!
Thank you for everything that you do for me mom. You really are awesome. DOnt kill yourself with all htat you have to do. Ill pray for you and your safety adn the safety of the family as well. I love all of you guys so much. I am so grateful that you are my family. For the christmas call. I will probably be calling you on YOUR Christmas day. So taht will be the 26th for me. I dont know what time yet. But this is how it is going to work. I will first call you on Skype. adn if the connection is bad and it isnt working, i will call you on the phone. I will let you guys on the further details when it gets closer. But i am for sure i will be calling on YOUR christmas. SO please let everyone including Nick Keels know so taht they can be there. I really cant wait. ITs going to be awesome. I love you so much and am so grateful for you. I hope that you have an awesome week adn taht you enjoi it. DOnt forgetme at the rodeo. haha. I cant wait til next week to talk to you again. God be with you always!!!!
Ai o Komete
Monday, November 28, 2011
28 November 2011
Mom!!!I
I thought that i did tell you taht i got those pictures from you! I quess i didnt. Yes i got them and i have already printed some out. I would like some more though. my print outs are really bad. i love my mission president too. I really feel like me and him have a father son relationship. I really look at him like dad out here in Japan. I am so proud that i have him. I am really going to miss him when he goes home in June.
Its good to hear that Kamas is happy and taht they are doing well. I am a bit jealous of the left overs though. I thought i would never say taht. I want some good ole american leftovers. All i have here is 3 basic foods: Curry, Gyoza, and Yakisoba. I miss the steak, mexican food, and all the other good stuff but i am still alive and maintaing a good weight so i must be doing something rite. Ya, i weigh 82 kilos now. that is about 180lbs. I am as solid as a rock too. Its awesome. I think i am gaining alot of muscle. There is no way i could be getting fat. I run 25 minutes everyday at a high tempo. I know it is muscle. But leftovers sound really good. Escepesially VDG leftovers.
Its good to hear that thanksgiving went really good for you guys at home. Sounds like you got alot accomplished in the 2 days of shopping that you did. Its funny because on Friday here too everything was on sale. Its too bad taht i wasnt on my Pday. Stuff was super cheap. Oh well though. That is crazy that bug is so close to putting his papers in. I cant believe taht. May 4th. That is so close and it will come so fast. Oh my gosh. I got chills when i read taht. I cant wait for him. I am so excited. I hope that he comes to Japan and that i get to train him. How cool would taht be? It has happend here too. SO it is way possible. Nick Keels is getting close to putting his papers in too. I really hope that he gets called here to Japan. I really want to train him. It would be so much fun. I think he is putting them in this Month or next month. You guys need to call him and see how he is doin. I know that he wants to go through the temple with you guys. You are his family. I love him so much. He will be coming to Tokyo Japan for sure. All this news is so exciting.
Man your week sounds like you guys had just so much fun. I really want to do some of that stuff. Oh well though. I am having fun too. Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I am trying my best to be the best i can. My week went by way fast as well but it wasnt the week i was expecting but oh well. I hope this week goes by as fast or even faster. I cant wait til christams to talk to you all. I am so excited about that. I will tell you about my week though.
Monday: We had a lesson with a member planned out with our investigator but he got the flu and couldnt make it. We went to the members house anyways for dinner. It was fun. We played card games liek Texas hold'em and poker while we were waiting for the food. We then had a spiritual meassage and then food time. We had like noodles with fish eggs on them. I thought that i would never eat fish eggs. I am not a fan. The thought grosses me out. They are hard and when you pop them with your teeth, juice comes out. But we then had home made Spaghetti. It was way good but i have to admit not as good as Dads home made spaghtti. But it was a change and it was good.
Tuesday: We had lunch with a less-active and i had such a hard time following what he was saying in his Japanese. It was super difficult for me for some reason. Maybe becasue we didnt study Japanese yet. Later taht night we went to another less-actives daughters birthday party. It was super funny. The kids here were all over eachother. It was kind of disturbing to see how close 10 year olds got. THe games here they play are very painful to watch becasue they threaten future posterity. I am glad i didnt grow up here. The kids spoke really rude japanese and it was fun to speak impolite japanese for once. haha.
Wednesday: We played basketball in the moring with a member becasue it was Japan Labor Thanksgiving. While we were playing another person brought a Football. OH MY GOSH!!!! I havent thrown a football in so long. It was so much fun. It was my Turkey Bowl. It was fun to justl throuw the old pig skin around. GOod times. Good times.We were on our bikes all day. We went to give a birthday card to another less-active. On our way we saw this family of 4 and we stopped them. The dad said that he wasnt intrested and the kids were all depressed. The kids reallly wanted to go to church. SO the dad then gave it some more thought while the kids were pleading with him. He said tht he couldnt the next 2 weeks but maybe on the 10. I was so glad for little kids. I love them. They changed the guys thoughts completley and they might come to church. It was awesome. Kids here are so pure and just up for anything. I think tahts how they are anywehre though.
Thursday: So since it was Thanksgiving i decided to write down some things that i was and still am thankful for. One of the most cherished things on my list was The trials i have had since becoming a missionary. I never thought i would say that but it is 100% true. If it were for those trials, i wouldnt be the missonary i am now and maybe not a missionary at all. This mission has been changing me. I am so grateful for that. Maybe the best day of my mission is the day i decided to put my everything into it and not hold out on anyone but be a Japan Tokyo Missionary. I am so grateful for that. The Scriptures, Apostles, and Prophets are so right when they say taht we should be grateful for those things. I am. We went out for dinner for Thanksgiving. We tried to find a All you Can Eat but we had no success in finding one. So we resorted to just buying Sushi. So for my first Thanksgiving in Japan i had 14 plates of Sushi. It was good but it cost me like 15 bucks. I would of rather had free food from home but oh well. We thne topped off the night by getting doughnuts for dessert. Let me say that American Doughnuts are so much better than Japanese doughnuts.
Friday: We ahd a very intresting Lesson with a guy from Okinawa, Japan. He spoke really hard japanese and way broked english. It was hard to understand him in any language he spoke. He believes in a religion called Happy Science. They believe in everything all churches believe in. It was kind of a hard lesson. We would talk about the Plan of Salvation and he would listen and then talk about the feud going on between China and the USA. What is exactly going on over there? I hear taht American is in like a cold war with China? Is that true? Anyways it was a difficutl lesson but he told us he can meet next week and he took our pamphlet to read it.
Saturday: We went to our Bishops house to do a Practice lesson with him. We taught about the Restoration. I felt the spirit very much so and thought i did a good job. It made me really made though when he tried to correct my testimony. I cant stand people taht do that. Its my testimony and i can say it in anyway i want. You cant tell someone that there testimony is wrong. I saw past taht and told myself taht he was just trying to help so nonmembers can have a better understanding. When i thought it about it taht way, for the progression fo those without the gospel, i felt much better about it and forgave him in my heart. We then had our real Thanksgiving Feast. It was amazing. There was so much food too. But none when we left. We ahd Taco's, Huge Hamburgers, and Costco Pizza. I had 7 Taco's, 2 Hamburgers, and 3 slices of Pizza. It was so good. Even though it wasnt Turkey and Potatoes, it was American and it was alot of food. It was so greasy and the burgers had onions mixed in the middle of them. so good. We then had Chocolate Cake and Hot Chocolate for dessert. So good. I got crowned the Elder who eats the most. No one thought that i could eat taht much because i had never done it before because i dont like to becasue of my weight. But i went all out to show everyone i can eat alot when i wnat to. I felt so sick. But like 2 hours later i was super hungry agian. It was amazing day.
Sunday: It was a tyipcal sunday here. It was harder because i was super tired adn i didnt really understand anything anyone was saying. It was super hard to stay awake durein church. I kept dozing off all 3 hours. I crashed at like 9:50 that night.
That was my week. I dont have any solid investigators so i spend alot of my time planting way good seeds and finding people taht are intrested. I have gotten the most phone numbers in my life in the pst 3 weeks tahn ever. I am going to be a pro at getting girls phone numbers when i go home. I am sending a letter home today to you guys. It has my camera card in it. You need to send the other one back as soon as possible. We have to keep this cycle going good. I cant wait til christmas. I am so excited to talk to all of you again. It has been 8 months since i have last taked with you. I might also get to talk over SKYPE and actually see you.HOw cool would that be? You guys need to let Nick Keels know so he can be ther. I really want him there.
I love you with all my heart mom! I am so grateful for everything taht you do for me! You are the best mom taht anyone could ask for. I hope and pray for your safety everyday. I love you so much. Thank you. i hope that you have a great week this week. You know that i will be praying for you. Get the rest taht you need ok? I cant wait til next week to hear from ya. I hope that this week goes by super fast. THe weeks seem to be going by fster and faster and easier and easier too. I am loving it. I just wish taht i had a solid investigator adn teaching more lesons than all the finding i ahve to do. But oh well, like you said, it is my lot to have this. I am grateful for it too. I am learning everyday from my expireences. Have a great week for me ok? I love you!!!
愛を込めて、Ai O Komoete,
I thought that i did tell you taht i got those pictures from you! I quess i didnt. Yes i got them and i have already printed some out. I would like some more though. my print outs are really bad. i love my mission president too. I really feel like me and him have a father son relationship. I really look at him like dad out here in Japan. I am so proud that i have him. I am really going to miss him when he goes home in June.
Its good to hear that Kamas is happy and taht they are doing well. I am a bit jealous of the left overs though. I thought i would never say taht. I want some good ole american leftovers. All i have here is 3 basic foods: Curry, Gyoza, and Yakisoba. I miss the steak, mexican food, and all the other good stuff but i am still alive and maintaing a good weight so i must be doing something rite. Ya, i weigh 82 kilos now. that is about 180lbs. I am as solid as a rock too. Its awesome. I think i am gaining alot of muscle. There is no way i could be getting fat. I run 25 minutes everyday at a high tempo. I know it is muscle. But leftovers sound really good. Escepesially VDG leftovers.
Its good to hear that thanksgiving went really good for you guys at home. Sounds like you got alot accomplished in the 2 days of shopping that you did. Its funny because on Friday here too everything was on sale. Its too bad taht i wasnt on my Pday. Stuff was super cheap. Oh well though. That is crazy that bug is so close to putting his papers in. I cant believe taht. May 4th. That is so close and it will come so fast. Oh my gosh. I got chills when i read taht. I cant wait for him. I am so excited. I hope that he comes to Japan and that i get to train him. How cool would taht be? It has happend here too. SO it is way possible. Nick Keels is getting close to putting his papers in too. I really hope that he gets called here to Japan. I really want to train him. It would be so much fun. I think he is putting them in this Month or next month. You guys need to call him and see how he is doin. I know that he wants to go through the temple with you guys. You are his family. I love him so much. He will be coming to Tokyo Japan for sure. All this news is so exciting.
Man your week sounds like you guys had just so much fun. I really want to do some of that stuff. Oh well though. I am having fun too. Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I am trying my best to be the best i can. My week went by way fast as well but it wasnt the week i was expecting but oh well. I hope this week goes by as fast or even faster. I cant wait til christams to talk to you all. I am so excited about that. I will tell you about my week though.
Monday: We had a lesson with a member planned out with our investigator but he got the flu and couldnt make it. We went to the members house anyways for dinner. It was fun. We played card games liek Texas hold'em and poker while we were waiting for the food. We then had a spiritual meassage and then food time. We had like noodles with fish eggs on them. I thought that i would never eat fish eggs. I am not a fan. The thought grosses me out. They are hard and when you pop them with your teeth, juice comes out. But we then had home made Spaghetti. It was way good but i have to admit not as good as Dads home made spaghtti. But it was a change and it was good.
Tuesday: We had lunch with a less-active and i had such a hard time following what he was saying in his Japanese. It was super difficult for me for some reason. Maybe becasue we didnt study Japanese yet. Later taht night we went to another less-actives daughters birthday party. It was super funny. The kids here were all over eachother. It was kind of disturbing to see how close 10 year olds got. THe games here they play are very painful to watch becasue they threaten future posterity. I am glad i didnt grow up here. The kids spoke really rude japanese and it was fun to speak impolite japanese for once. haha.
Wednesday: We played basketball in the moring with a member becasue it was Japan Labor Thanksgiving. While we were playing another person brought a Football. OH MY GOSH!!!! I havent thrown a football in so long. It was so much fun. It was my Turkey Bowl. It was fun to justl throuw the old pig skin around. GOod times. Good times.We were on our bikes all day. We went to give a birthday card to another less-active. On our way we saw this family of 4 and we stopped them. The dad said that he wasnt intrested and the kids were all depressed. The kids reallly wanted to go to church. SO the dad then gave it some more thought while the kids were pleading with him. He said tht he couldnt the next 2 weeks but maybe on the 10. I was so glad for little kids. I love them. They changed the guys thoughts completley and they might come to church. It was awesome. Kids here are so pure and just up for anything. I think tahts how they are anywehre though.
Thursday: So since it was Thanksgiving i decided to write down some things that i was and still am thankful for. One of the most cherished things on my list was The trials i have had since becoming a missionary. I never thought i would say that but it is 100% true. If it were for those trials, i wouldnt be the missonary i am now and maybe not a missionary at all. This mission has been changing me. I am so grateful for that. Maybe the best day of my mission is the day i decided to put my everything into it and not hold out on anyone but be a Japan Tokyo Missionary. I am so grateful for that. The Scriptures, Apostles, and Prophets are so right when they say taht we should be grateful for those things. I am. We went out for dinner for Thanksgiving. We tried to find a All you Can Eat but we had no success in finding one. So we resorted to just buying Sushi. So for my first Thanksgiving in Japan i had 14 plates of Sushi. It was good but it cost me like 15 bucks. I would of rather had free food from home but oh well. We thne topped off the night by getting doughnuts for dessert. Let me say that American Doughnuts are so much better than Japanese doughnuts.
Friday: We ahd a very intresting Lesson with a guy from Okinawa, Japan. He spoke really hard japanese and way broked english. It was hard to understand him in any language he spoke. He believes in a religion called Happy Science. They believe in everything all churches believe in. It was kind of a hard lesson. We would talk about the Plan of Salvation and he would listen and then talk about the feud going on between China and the USA. What is exactly going on over there? I hear taht American is in like a cold war with China? Is that true? Anyways it was a difficutl lesson but he told us he can meet next week and he took our pamphlet to read it.
Saturday: We went to our Bishops house to do a Practice lesson with him. We taught about the Restoration. I felt the spirit very much so and thought i did a good job. It made me really made though when he tried to correct my testimony. I cant stand people taht do that. Its my testimony and i can say it in anyway i want. You cant tell someone that there testimony is wrong. I saw past taht and told myself taht he was just trying to help so nonmembers can have a better understanding. When i thought it about it taht way, for the progression fo those without the gospel, i felt much better about it and forgave him in my heart. We then had our real Thanksgiving Feast. It was amazing. There was so much food too. But none when we left. We ahd Taco's, Huge Hamburgers, and Costco Pizza. I had 7 Taco's, 2 Hamburgers, and 3 slices of Pizza. It was so good. Even though it wasnt Turkey and Potatoes, it was American and it was alot of food. It was so greasy and the burgers had onions mixed in the middle of them. so good. We then had Chocolate Cake and Hot Chocolate for dessert. So good. I got crowned the Elder who eats the most. No one thought that i could eat taht much because i had never done it before because i dont like to becasue of my weight. But i went all out to show everyone i can eat alot when i wnat to. I felt so sick. But like 2 hours later i was super hungry agian. It was amazing day.
Sunday: It was a tyipcal sunday here. It was harder because i was super tired adn i didnt really understand anything anyone was saying. It was super hard to stay awake durein church. I kept dozing off all 3 hours. I crashed at like 9:50 that night.
That was my week. I dont have any solid investigators so i spend alot of my time planting way good seeds and finding people taht are intrested. I have gotten the most phone numbers in my life in the pst 3 weeks tahn ever. I am going to be a pro at getting girls phone numbers when i go home. I am sending a letter home today to you guys. It has my camera card in it. You need to send the other one back as soon as possible. We have to keep this cycle going good. I cant wait til christmas. I am so excited to talk to all of you again. It has been 8 months since i have last taked with you. I might also get to talk over SKYPE and actually see you.HOw cool would that be? You guys need to let Nick Keels know so he can be ther. I really want him there.
I love you with all my heart mom! I am so grateful for everything taht you do for me! You are the best mom taht anyone could ask for. I hope and pray for your safety everyday. I love you so much. Thank you. i hope that you have a great week this week. You know that i will be praying for you. Get the rest taht you need ok? I cant wait til next week to hear from ya. I hope that this week goes by super fast. THe weeks seem to be going by fster and faster and easier and easier too. I am loving it. I just wish taht i had a solid investigator adn teaching more lesons than all the finding i ahve to do. But oh well, like you said, it is my lot to have this. I am grateful for it too. I am learning everyday from my expireences. Have a great week for me ok? I love you!!!
愛を込めて、Ai O Komoete,
Monday, November 21, 2011
21 November 2011
Thank you so much for these emails. I am so grateful that Kamas is finally married. I have been prying so hard for him. i really have and to hear that he is finally married is so good and makes me super happy. I am so grateful for them. They look really good. you could of told me the gold was more yellow like. oh well though. I am glad that he had a really good weekend. Everybody looks super happy. i am way pumped about it.
Well my week was full of ups and little downs. It was a bit hard at times too. But for the majority of the week, it was super good and i am proud of the work that i have accomplished. Monday after P-day, we went streeting and ended up talkin to this one dude who looked like Ab Lincoln. well, we taught him pretty much every lesson and the spirit was with us big time because both of us understood most of the dudes japanese and we were able to answer him. Unfortuntaly the guy didnt give us any info and didnt want to meet us again. It was super depressing seeing that. People do it all the time. THey like what we preach but they dont want to ever meet again. Thats how the work goes here.
Tuesday we streeted all day long. I was super suprised at it because i hated streeting. Do you remember when i 1st got to japan i told you how much i hated it? well i am starting to like it more and more. Our conversations are gettting more intresting. we streeted pretty much for 7 hours and had no new investigators. It sucked but the day was fun and i enjoied it so much. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were pretty much the same. On Wednesday though we got to watch a bit of College soccer. (Japanese people are really good at soccer), Thursday we had weekly planning and i called people from the area book and got a new investigator. That night we went to an eki and we talked to this way old dude. It was so funny. He wanted to know what amen meant so we told him. He was way drunk by the way. He called me a way polite thing. Like a heavenly messenger. It was pretty cool. On Friday we had District meeting. While streeting we talked to a dude who told us our eyes were diffent than everyone elses eyes. He said not because of the color but that we had something differnt that other people didnt have. It was way cool. He pretty much told us that he could tell that we had the Spirit. and that as a missionary is a good thing to know.
Saturday was raining all day long. It was super cold too. Like said, our apartment gets way cold and i dont have any like indoor warm clothing. I have the huge outside rain coats and winter jackets, but no sweaters or long sleeves. I really want my mexican sweater that i packed away. It is red, blak and white. It would be awesome. We had a meeting with the bishop and new ward mission leader. After that we played indoor soccer. Let me remind you that they are really good at soccer. I scored a goal with my head. It was the best goal of the night. I was so happy. Everyone went nuts. I couldnt believe that i did that against japanese peopel in thier best sport. I felt way good. It was so much fun.
Sunday was AWESOME!!! We had a investigator who had never been to church come. It was great becasue he wants to be a elementary teacher and on sunday was the primary program. He told me that he had a very warm feeling in his heart and that he was coming next week. SO AWESOME!!! The bad thing is that he doesnt live in my area. We have a dinner appt. with him tonight and we weill be trading him off. So sad.
The week was difficult because kamas' wedding was in the back of my head the whole week. Friday and Saturday were hard because i knew the wedding stuff was happening. I tried not to focus on it though. I am relieved that it is over now though. I am way happy. I am planning on having another aWESOME week this week. It has been filling up. Hopefully we will find the elected people so i dont have to street so much. I much rather teach people than go finding.
I love you so much and really appreciate everything you do for me. I am glad that you all had an amazing week. I hope that this week is a good one too with Thanksgiving coming up. We are planning on going to a All you can eat restraunt on Thanksgiving. Its going to be differnt for sure. I love you and cant wait to hear from you again!
Well my week was full of ups and little downs. It was a bit hard at times too. But for the majority of the week, it was super good and i am proud of the work that i have accomplished. Monday after P-day, we went streeting and ended up talkin to this one dude who looked like Ab Lincoln. well, we taught him pretty much every lesson and the spirit was with us big time because both of us understood most of the dudes japanese and we were able to answer him. Unfortuntaly the guy didnt give us any info and didnt want to meet us again. It was super depressing seeing that. People do it all the time. THey like what we preach but they dont want to ever meet again. Thats how the work goes here.
Tuesday we streeted all day long. I was super suprised at it because i hated streeting. Do you remember when i 1st got to japan i told you how much i hated it? well i am starting to like it more and more. Our conversations are gettting more intresting. we streeted pretty much for 7 hours and had no new investigators. It sucked but the day was fun and i enjoied it so much. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were pretty much the same. On Wednesday though we got to watch a bit of College soccer. (Japanese people are really good at soccer), Thursday we had weekly planning and i called people from the area book and got a new investigator. That night we went to an eki and we talked to this way old dude. It was so funny. He wanted to know what amen meant so we told him. He was way drunk by the way. He called me a way polite thing. Like a heavenly messenger. It was pretty cool. On Friday we had District meeting. While streeting we talked to a dude who told us our eyes were diffent than everyone elses eyes. He said not because of the color but that we had something differnt that other people didnt have. It was way cool. He pretty much told us that he could tell that we had the Spirit. and that as a missionary is a good thing to know.
Saturday was raining all day long. It was super cold too. Like said, our apartment gets way cold and i dont have any like indoor warm clothing. I have the huge outside rain coats and winter jackets, but no sweaters or long sleeves. I really want my mexican sweater that i packed away. It is red, blak and white. It would be awesome. We had a meeting with the bishop and new ward mission leader. After that we played indoor soccer. Let me remind you that they are really good at soccer. I scored a goal with my head. It was the best goal of the night. I was so happy. Everyone went nuts. I couldnt believe that i did that against japanese peopel in thier best sport. I felt way good. It was so much fun.
Sunday was AWESOME!!! We had a investigator who had never been to church come. It was great becasue he wants to be a elementary teacher and on sunday was the primary program. He told me that he had a very warm feeling in his heart and that he was coming next week. SO AWESOME!!! The bad thing is that he doesnt live in my area. We have a dinner appt. with him tonight and we weill be trading him off. So sad.
The week was difficult because kamas' wedding was in the back of my head the whole week. Friday and Saturday were hard because i knew the wedding stuff was happening. I tried not to focus on it though. I am relieved that it is over now though. I am way happy. I am planning on having another aWESOME week this week. It has been filling up. Hopefully we will find the elected people so i dont have to street so much. I much rather teach people than go finding.
I love you so much and really appreciate everything you do for me. I am glad that you all had an amazing week. I hope that this week is a good one too with Thanksgiving coming up. We are planning on going to a All you can eat restraunt on Thanksgiving. Its going to be differnt for sure. I love you and cant wait to hear from you again!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
14 November 2011
So i am glad taht you sent me an email. I love you alot. So i have had a really good week this week. Just to let you know, i have been praying for you, Kamas, and grandam and it is super good to hear that everything is going better. It realy makes me happy. Well i will get on to my week.
So last monday i had a dinner with some members. We shared a message about the Holy Ghost. It was good. Afterwards we had dinner. It was a dish called Nabe. It is like little meatballs mixed in with fish and you boil it with vegetables and noodles. It was super good. I had never had it before.
Tuesday we had another dinner appointment but this time with the bishop. Before we ate though, we did a lesson with bishop. We taught him about obedience and following the prophet. It was super hard because he was stopping us every 20 seconds and telling us things we need to fix. It was really hard not to get frustrated but it was some good advice that he was giving us. He has been the stake president in an England stake before. He was really nice after though. For dinner we had something called Sukiyaki. It is beef boiled in water with vegetables and other japanese foods. You then mix it in a bowl with a raw egg and other sauces. It was good after you got over the fact that a raw egg was in it. You cant really taste the raw egg either. But they fed us so much. It was so good. Apparently we go over to their house like twice a week do to a lesson and thenn eat. SO i am good with that.
Wednesday i was on splits with someone that is younger tahn me. I was on splits because my comp had a district leader meeting. I went streeting in front of the church. I was really suprised at my skills. My japanese was really good and i was suprised on how much i knew. We stopped this one guy running, he said that he would like to do a church tour. That was about the only success i saw that day. But i was way suprised at my japanese. I then went and bought my new bike. Since i had a warranty on my bike, i was able to get one for super cheap. I bout a bike that is usually 33700 yen for about 7000yen and i then had to buy a warranty for the new one. The total came out ot 12000yen which is about $120 in american dollars. Is was pretty good.
Thursday while doing a kubarikai i walked up to this japanese man and told him he had a cool tie and he responded in English. He told me that he had lived in Australia and that he wanted to go to a christian church. WOW!!! what the right people to run into right? I was so happy i stopped him. I told him thats all we do everyday is invite people to come to church. He was happy and said that next sunday he would come. Throughout the whole day i was stopping poeple and talking to them in japanese and i have just been super suprised at how much i know. I quess i have never really noticed because i have always been with a comp taht is like 10 or more transfers ahead of me. But man my japanese has really taken off.
Friday was a super cold day. Wanna know why? Because it was raining all day long. It was super cold. I hated riding my bike in it. Luckily for me, i only had to do it for 3 hours because we had to go to a zone meeting at the stake center which was about 1 hour away. After the meeting we had to book it to another area to do a baptismal interview. It was fun. But man was it cold.
Saturday wasnt raining and it was a super clear day. I got up in the morning to go running like i always do. I was running down the canal goin a west direction and i looked up. Quess what i saw? Yup. There it was. MT. FUJI! It was so cool and so pretty. I have never seen that moutain since i have come to Japan. Since it was a clear day thanks to the rain the day before Mt. Fuji was visible. It was really pretty. I havent seen it since. The smog from the city covers it up. Just thinking about that miracle and the rain i related it to Christ and us. Christ gives us hard times or trials. But after the trials are over or after it stops raining and clears up. The trails really do bring good things .In my case since it rained, it cleared up the smog and made Mt. Fuji visible. Trials will do the same. They will bring down our pride and make us humble to the Lord and then we will have a good relationship with our father in heaven. Way cool uh? This gospel is great. i love it so much. SO saturday night we had FHE at a members house with more food. One of the foods was a cake. It was made from a fruit called Kaki. It tasted just like pumpkin pie and i enjoied it so much. I miss thanksgiving. But i met a member who lived in AZ for 2 1/2 years after he was baptized and i talked and reminised about AZ with him. It was fun.
Sunday before church started, some members were singing christmas songs. They asked us to come over and sing with them so we did. They were all suprised with my sining and told me i had to do it everyweek. I have been drafted. i like it but it is super hard singing in Japanese. The words are all the symbols they use too. Really hard but i am doing it. I gave a talk/testimony in Sacrament too. I thought it was horrible but the bishop came up to me and said it was great. I read the scripture Alma 26:12. I am so excited to be in this ward. I swear that i have seen some of this people before. I am so excited. THis ward is going to be great. I mean. I have already been fed 3 times this week. Way cool. In Preisthood meeting i was called on the spot to tell peole how we can prepare for the 2nd coming. I was scared adn super suprised. I have never learned how to teach this. As missionaries, we shouldnt teach this subject. But i went up and started teaching. I taught the basic principles of the Gospel. You know: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Recieving the gift of the HOly Ghost., and Enduring to the End. I dont know if taht was the answer they were looking for but it is true. If we do those steps and stay firm inthe belief, we will be saved and have no worries. I love how in this gospel we can relate everything back to the five principles taht we believe in. Once again i was suprised that i did it all in japanese. I dont know where all this started coming from but i am loving it and so grateful for it. Later sunday night while my comp was on the phone, i was streeting. After talking to a man, an old lady came up to me and asked me who i was and what i was doing. I told her adn then she told me that she was a christian and intrested in learning about this gospel. Yet another miracle. For one, i was talking to her all in japanese by myself. I havent even been in japan for 6 months and i am holding converstatinos by myself. another miracle is that the Lord really does bless us when we are doing waht we are supposed to be doing. I am so grateful that i was out talking to people instead of in my apartment. I can honestly say ever since i have commited myself to this mission, things have been moving in a way more positive way. I love it.
So here i am today. Writing this wonderful email. My apartment is so cool. It has 4 people in it. SO fun. NO one is from Utah either. Really rare here. Elder Lewis is a zone leader and from Georgia. He is way cool and i am so happy to be in his apartment. I have known him since i got to japan. He really reminds me of our family. Elder Kaizaki is the other zone leader. He is from Kyoto, Japan. He doesnt speak good english so it is good practise for me. ANd my comp. He is from Oregon. He is the zone leader and we are going to be great friends. He really is cool. And since we both are young missionaries, we both learn alot and use our japanese alot. Way good. I have been thinking alot about my week and how good it has been. Kamas wedding has been on my mind too. But not to much. I will get over it. I have been thinking about a christmas list. I am sure taht i ahve already told you stuff taht i wanted. I really do want that stuff but i really want money in my account too. But if you send a package, even a small one, i need denture cleaners They clean my retainers. I need some really bad. i would really like some pictures too. But ya. I would like all that stuff i told you, but ireally wnat money for when i get back too. I aam so confused. Anyways. I love you all so much. I am so grateful for everything you do for me. I hope that everything will go good this week. I am sure it will. I will continue to pray for you and Kamas.
So ya.. . . I love you so much. Christmas is coming soon and i think i get to call on skype. But i dont know how well that will work out. But i am excited. Let Nick KEels know when i get all the info to you guys. Ireally want him there when i call. Is there anything anyone wants for christmas from japan. Packages are super expensive but there is a base close to my area and i think i can get it for cheap. Just let me know. I dont know what else to say. I love you guys and appreciate you all so much. I hope this week is a great one and i cant wait to hear about the wedding. Let me know.
Lots of Love,
So last monday i had a dinner with some members. We shared a message about the Holy Ghost. It was good. Afterwards we had dinner. It was a dish called Nabe. It is like little meatballs mixed in with fish and you boil it with vegetables and noodles. It was super good. I had never had it before.
Tuesday we had another dinner appointment but this time with the bishop. Before we ate though, we did a lesson with bishop. We taught him about obedience and following the prophet. It was super hard because he was stopping us every 20 seconds and telling us things we need to fix. It was really hard not to get frustrated but it was some good advice that he was giving us. He has been the stake president in an England stake before. He was really nice after though. For dinner we had something called Sukiyaki. It is beef boiled in water with vegetables and other japanese foods. You then mix it in a bowl with a raw egg and other sauces. It was good after you got over the fact that a raw egg was in it. You cant really taste the raw egg either. But they fed us so much. It was so good. Apparently we go over to their house like twice a week do to a lesson and thenn eat. SO i am good with that.
Wednesday i was on splits with someone that is younger tahn me. I was on splits because my comp had a district leader meeting. I went streeting in front of the church. I was really suprised at my skills. My japanese was really good and i was suprised on how much i knew. We stopped this one guy running, he said that he would like to do a church tour. That was about the only success i saw that day. But i was way suprised at my japanese. I then went and bought my new bike. Since i had a warranty on my bike, i was able to get one for super cheap. I bout a bike that is usually 33700 yen for about 7000yen and i then had to buy a warranty for the new one. The total came out ot 12000yen which is about $120 in american dollars. Is was pretty good.
Thursday while doing a kubarikai i walked up to this japanese man and told him he had a cool tie and he responded in English. He told me that he had lived in Australia and that he wanted to go to a christian church. WOW!!! what the right people to run into right? I was so happy i stopped him. I told him thats all we do everyday is invite people to come to church. He was happy and said that next sunday he would come. Throughout the whole day i was stopping poeple and talking to them in japanese and i have just been super suprised at how much i know. I quess i have never really noticed because i have always been with a comp taht is like 10 or more transfers ahead of me. But man my japanese has really taken off.
Friday was a super cold day. Wanna know why? Because it was raining all day long. It was super cold. I hated riding my bike in it. Luckily for me, i only had to do it for 3 hours because we had to go to a zone meeting at the stake center which was about 1 hour away. After the meeting we had to book it to another area to do a baptismal interview. It was fun. But man was it cold.
Saturday wasnt raining and it was a super clear day. I got up in the morning to go running like i always do. I was running down the canal goin a west direction and i looked up. Quess what i saw? Yup. There it was. MT. FUJI! It was so cool and so pretty. I have never seen that moutain since i have come to Japan. Since it was a clear day thanks to the rain the day before Mt. Fuji was visible. It was really pretty. I havent seen it since. The smog from the city covers it up. Just thinking about that miracle and the rain i related it to Christ and us. Christ gives us hard times or trials. But after the trials are over or after it stops raining and clears up. The trails really do bring good things .In my case since it rained, it cleared up the smog and made Mt. Fuji visible. Trials will do the same. They will bring down our pride and make us humble to the Lord and then we will have a good relationship with our father in heaven. Way cool uh? This gospel is great. i love it so much. SO saturday night we had FHE at a members house with more food. One of the foods was a cake. It was made from a fruit called Kaki. It tasted just like pumpkin pie and i enjoied it so much. I miss thanksgiving. But i met a member who lived in AZ for 2 1/2 years after he was baptized and i talked and reminised about AZ with him. It was fun.
Sunday before church started, some members were singing christmas songs. They asked us to come over and sing with them so we did. They were all suprised with my sining and told me i had to do it everyweek. I have been drafted. i like it but it is super hard singing in Japanese. The words are all the symbols they use too. Really hard but i am doing it. I gave a talk/testimony in Sacrament too. I thought it was horrible but the bishop came up to me and said it was great. I read the scripture Alma 26:12. I am so excited to be in this ward. I swear that i have seen some of this people before. I am so excited. THis ward is going to be great. I mean. I have already been fed 3 times this week. Way cool. In Preisthood meeting i was called on the spot to tell peole how we can prepare for the 2nd coming. I was scared adn super suprised. I have never learned how to teach this. As missionaries, we shouldnt teach this subject. But i went up and started teaching. I taught the basic principles of the Gospel. You know: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Recieving the gift of the HOly Ghost., and Enduring to the End. I dont know if taht was the answer they were looking for but it is true. If we do those steps and stay firm inthe belief, we will be saved and have no worries. I love how in this gospel we can relate everything back to the five principles taht we believe in. Once again i was suprised that i did it all in japanese. I dont know where all this started coming from but i am loving it and so grateful for it. Later sunday night while my comp was on the phone, i was streeting. After talking to a man, an old lady came up to me and asked me who i was and what i was doing. I told her adn then she told me that she was a christian and intrested in learning about this gospel. Yet another miracle. For one, i was talking to her all in japanese by myself. I havent even been in japan for 6 months and i am holding converstatinos by myself. another miracle is that the Lord really does bless us when we are doing waht we are supposed to be doing. I am so grateful that i was out talking to people instead of in my apartment. I can honestly say ever since i have commited myself to this mission, things have been moving in a way more positive way. I love it.
So here i am today. Writing this wonderful email. My apartment is so cool. It has 4 people in it. SO fun. NO one is from Utah either. Really rare here. Elder Lewis is a zone leader and from Georgia. He is way cool and i am so happy to be in his apartment. I have known him since i got to japan. He really reminds me of our family. Elder Kaizaki is the other zone leader. He is from Kyoto, Japan. He doesnt speak good english so it is good practise for me. ANd my comp. He is from Oregon. He is the zone leader and we are going to be great friends. He really is cool. And since we both are young missionaries, we both learn alot and use our japanese alot. Way good. I have been thinking alot about my week and how good it has been. Kamas wedding has been on my mind too. But not to much. I will get over it. I have been thinking about a christmas list. I am sure taht i ahve already told you stuff taht i wanted. I really do want that stuff but i really want money in my account too. But if you send a package, even a small one, i need denture cleaners They clean my retainers. I need some really bad. i would really like some pictures too. But ya. I would like all that stuff i told you, but ireally wnat money for when i get back too. I aam so confused. Anyways. I love you all so much. I am so grateful for everything you do for me. I hope that everything will go good this week. I am sure it will. I will continue to pray for you and Kamas.
So ya.. . . I love you so much. Christmas is coming soon and i think i get to call on skype. But i dont know how well that will work out. But i am excited. Let Nick KEels know when i get all the info to you guys. Ireally want him there when i call. Is there anything anyone wants for christmas from japan. Packages are super expensive but there is a base close to my area and i think i can get it for cheap. Just let me know. I dont know what else to say. I love you guys and appreciate you all so much. I hope this week is a great one and i cant wait to hear about the wedding. Let me know.
Lots of Love,
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
08 november 2011
JUST A REMINDER BLOG READERS:::
My brother is a terrible typer. And I do not personally re-edit his emails. :)
If you have a hard time reading his email because his spelling and grammar are off, please feel free to email or write him your concerns. I am sure he will greatly appreciate it. Letters are always refreshing for a missionary, no matter what the topic of the letter is :)
" Man it sure sounds like you had a fun, and yet very chilly week. I am so jealous about the cabin demolition. Not so much of the snow and the cold. I don't know, ever since i went to the MTC i don't like snow. Maybe that is just as a missionary. It makes things very taihen and no fun at all. I do like the snow but not as a missionary. I prefer the heat. SO summers here don't bother me. Just to let you know i only have one summer in Japan left. I hope that you guys don't get all of the cabin finished. i want to help build things too. I want to say that i put some sweat and blood into the cabin. I am glad that all my sisters and sister in laws are getting along well. That is a good thing. i am so excited for Kamas. I have been bragging about him to everyone. even the members in Japanese. they think it is so cool. i love him so much and am excited for him. Thanks for telling me about grandma. i will pray for her and hope that everything will be ok. you will have to send me some pictures of me at the wedding. I think it will be so funny. i will be at the wedding but i wont remember it. don't worry mom. i am sure that you will be inspired sometime this week with that video. i will pray for you too. Thank you so much for fasting for me this past Sunday. I really am scared for this next transfer and i will tell you why after i tell you about my week.
Tuesday a missionaries dad came and took us out to a lunch/dinner. It was so nice of him to do that. We had fried pork and rice. Typical Japanese food. rice with everything. it was good. when we took him back so he could catch his bus ot his hotel, quess what happend? We saw our friend who had chased us. Yup he was coming up the escalators and we were going down the stairs. It was funny because he saw me and started yelling my name. Me and my comp started to run really quick. It was funny because the dad and his son had no clue what was going on. They just saw us start running and they started running. It was funny. But it was fun to see the missionary and his dad mingle. I thought to myself what i would do if dad came to Tokyo and took me out to dinner. i don't know what i would do or say. it was fun to watch them though.
Wednesday was so much fun. We got to go to a international elementary school because they were having international day and they needed people from different nations. IT was so cool seeing the little kids. I realized how innocent little kids really are. The first kids we met were 4th graders. They had to speak English to us and we had to speak English to them. MOst of the kids were Japanese too. with the 4th graders we had a Halloween themed event. They danced to thriller for us and we played some games. It was really cute and fun. Next were the 6th graders. Their theme was culture. THey had different stations set up that had different Japanese cultural things such as sumo, karate, food, etc. It was fun but super wierd because at 3 stations we had to wrestle, sumo, and sword fight with the kids. I thought it was strangfe but the little ones loved it. Tehy alos played a super cool jhapanese song for us on their instruments. It sounded so cool. I sent it home on the card. Next and last was the 5th graders. THeir theme was English. THey had to ask us english questions and had to rock, paper, scissor us at the end of the question. it was really fun. THey then sang "we are the people" by michael jackson. It was cook becasue the last verses was in japanese but i didnt get it on film. i was so mad. but it was a way fun day. Not very often do you get to do that.
THursday we had district meeting and lunch. I payed for my companions lunch becasue it was his birthday. We had the all you can eat meat thing called yakiniku again; i had been carving this all transfer. i was so happy and ate so much beef. It was so good. We all had a really good time. That night we saw our crazy friend again. but this time he didnt see us. so we did a little mission impossible. ever since he chased us it had been our goal to get a picture of him to show people. well thursday night we accomplished our goal and got the best picture that describes him perfectly. It was awesome but also very risky. Later that night i had planned a suprise birthday party for my comp. I had a nonmember investigator make him a chocolate cake. She also went above and beyond and made us a peruvian dinner. I LOVE PERUVIAN FOOD. It was so good. we had steak marinated in some sauce. it tasted like the mexican pork. but she made a awesome chocolate cake that is ot die for. so good. i also gave my comp a tie that he wanted. It was a good day and a great oppurtunity to show my love for him. (even though he drove me nuts)
Saturday morning my bike got stolen. Yup i am without a bike. It really sucked. It got stolen between 6:45 and 11 am in the morning. I was so mad and it was a downer day. I tried really hard not to get to down. SO it sucks really bad because i had a back tire on my bike that didnt belong to me. DO you remember 2 weeks ago when i had to go to the shop and find a new tire? Ya well i borrowed a piece of crap tire from this bike shop and my bike got stolen. So i went to the bike shop to tell him and see how much it would cost. well the guy is a fag and he thought he would screw the white people. HE priced one bike tire at $126. Isnt that ridiculous? 126 bucks. i could believe that. i was so mad because i still have to buy a new bike .I dont have any money for this stuff. I dont know what i am going to do. My new bike is going to cost about 150 bucks becuase i bought a warranty with it. so glad i did that. But hte total comes out to liek 280 bucks for everythign. I AM A MISSIONARY! I dont have that money. But ya that is the situation i am in right now.
Sunday i had dinner at a members house and i learned some way cool htings. I want a book called Exploring the lands of the Book of Mormon. It is such a cool book. That is my favorite thing to study about. THe book of mormon and native american indians. i love it so much and that book talks about it so much. iwant it. before we left the brother gave a closing prayer. he blessed me that i would continue to be aawesome missionary and that the lord woudl bless me with the japaense language. it was a way good blessing. i really appreciated it alot. HE told me taht i was differnet and special. He said that since i can adopt to the japanese culture and the way they do things, i will learn the language faster and be better at it. That made me really happy. It really strengthend my faith and gave me a push that i needed. I love him so much. I wish you could of been there for the blessing though. It was incredible.
I did get transfered. That makes my bike problem a little harder too. But i am in a area called Kawagoe. It has 4 people in the apartemnt which i am so excited about. But i am in a co-senior comapnionhsip and that scares me. ALOT. I am on a transfer 5 and my comp is transfer 7. This means taht they are planning something special for me. I am a bit nervous but it is in the future and i have no idea what will happen. My comp is half mexican and from oregon. His name is Elder Albrethsen. He is also like a head shorter than me and problably 50 lbs heavier tahn me. i like him alot. He remindes me alot of boo and looks like him too. He also reminds me of an ompa loompa. He is cool though. HIs japanese is better than mine but not that good i dont think. So i dont know. He is still older and i will have to rely on himn still. My apartment has no weights in it. THat scares me a lot. I have run everday i can. I have maintained a good weight of like 178lbs. BUt i need to workout and this apartment has no weights and i dont know how i will be able to work out. i dont want ot loose my muscle or gain fat. i think i am just stressin my self out though. Tonight we have dinner with the bishop and the other elders were telling me that he feeds you tons of food. i like that buyt hate it at the same time. I am trying so hard to maintain my weight. I dont want to gain fat. only muscle. I hate this. i wish the human body could just eat whatever and as much and never gain anyweight. i would love that. I have such a slow metabolism though. i want a fast one.
ANyway, ya. i finally saw mountains for the 1st time since leaving the MTC. I was so happy. i cna see mountains from apartment. that makes me super happy too. my apartment is also on a river. super cool. I think i am going to like it here alot besides the fact of no weights.
I love you with all my heart mom. I cant wait to talk to you on Christmas. Nick Keels wants to talk too. Can you email him and fill him in on details on what will happen. I really want him to be there when i call. Its coming quick. I love you and cant wait to look at the pictures you sent me. i hope that you have a great week. I know that i will except not having a bike or money. I hope that you stay safe. Iknow that God will be looking out for you always and our family too. I will pray for you and the family. Well i gotta run. "
I LOVE YOU!!!
My brother is a terrible typer. And I do not personally re-edit his emails. :)
If you have a hard time reading his email because his spelling and grammar are off, please feel free to email or write him your concerns. I am sure he will greatly appreciate it. Letters are always refreshing for a missionary, no matter what the topic of the letter is :)
" Man it sure sounds like you had a fun, and yet very chilly week. I am so jealous about the cabin demolition. Not so much of the snow and the cold. I don't know, ever since i went to the MTC i don't like snow. Maybe that is just as a missionary. It makes things very taihen and no fun at all. I do like the snow but not as a missionary. I prefer the heat. SO summers here don't bother me. Just to let you know i only have one summer in Japan left. I hope that you guys don't get all of the cabin finished. i want to help build things too. I want to say that i put some sweat and blood into the cabin. I am glad that all my sisters and sister in laws are getting along well. That is a good thing. i am so excited for Kamas. I have been bragging about him to everyone. even the members in Japanese. they think it is so cool. i love him so much and am excited for him. Thanks for telling me about grandma. i will pray for her and hope that everything will be ok. you will have to send me some pictures of me at the wedding. I think it will be so funny. i will be at the wedding but i wont remember it. don't worry mom. i am sure that you will be inspired sometime this week with that video. i will pray for you too. Thank you so much for fasting for me this past Sunday. I really am scared for this next transfer and i will tell you why after i tell you about my week.
Tuesday a missionaries dad came and took us out to a lunch/dinner. It was so nice of him to do that. We had fried pork and rice. Typical Japanese food. rice with everything. it was good. when we took him back so he could catch his bus ot his hotel, quess what happend? We saw our friend who had chased us. Yup he was coming up the escalators and we were going down the stairs. It was funny because he saw me and started yelling my name. Me and my comp started to run really quick. It was funny because the dad and his son had no clue what was going on. They just saw us start running and they started running. It was funny. But it was fun to see the missionary and his dad mingle. I thought to myself what i would do if dad came to Tokyo and took me out to dinner. i don't know what i would do or say. it was fun to watch them though.
Wednesday was so much fun. We got to go to a international elementary school because they were having international day and they needed people from different nations. IT was so cool seeing the little kids. I realized how innocent little kids really are. The first kids we met were 4th graders. They had to speak English to us and we had to speak English to them. MOst of the kids were Japanese too. with the 4th graders we had a Halloween themed event. They danced to thriller for us and we played some games. It was really cute and fun. Next were the 6th graders. Their theme was culture. THey had different stations set up that had different Japanese cultural things such as sumo, karate, food, etc. It was fun but super wierd because at 3 stations we had to wrestle, sumo, and sword fight with the kids. I thought it was strangfe but the little ones loved it. Tehy alos played a super cool jhapanese song for us on their instruments. It sounded so cool. I sent it home on the card. Next and last was the 5th graders. THeir theme was English. THey had to ask us english questions and had to rock, paper, scissor us at the end of the question. it was really fun. THey then sang "we are the people" by michael jackson. It was cook becasue the last verses was in japanese but i didnt get it on film. i was so mad. but it was a way fun day. Not very often do you get to do that.
THursday we had district meeting and lunch. I payed for my companions lunch becasue it was his birthday. We had the all you can eat meat thing called yakiniku again; i had been carving this all transfer. i was so happy and ate so much beef. It was so good. We all had a really good time. That night we saw our crazy friend again. but this time he didnt see us. so we did a little mission impossible. ever since he chased us it had been our goal to get a picture of him to show people. well thursday night we accomplished our goal and got the best picture that describes him perfectly. It was awesome but also very risky. Later that night i had planned a suprise birthday party for my comp. I had a nonmember investigator make him a chocolate cake. She also went above and beyond and made us a peruvian dinner. I LOVE PERUVIAN FOOD. It was so good. we had steak marinated in some sauce. it tasted like the mexican pork. but she made a awesome chocolate cake that is ot die for. so good. i also gave my comp a tie that he wanted. It was a good day and a great oppurtunity to show my love for him. (even though he drove me nuts)
Saturday morning my bike got stolen. Yup i am without a bike. It really sucked. It got stolen between 6:45 and 11 am in the morning. I was so mad and it was a downer day. I tried really hard not to get to down. SO it sucks really bad because i had a back tire on my bike that didnt belong to me. DO you remember 2 weeks ago when i had to go to the shop and find a new tire? Ya well i borrowed a piece of crap tire from this bike shop and my bike got stolen. So i went to the bike shop to tell him and see how much it would cost. well the guy is a fag and he thought he would screw the white people. HE priced one bike tire at $126. Isnt that ridiculous? 126 bucks. i could believe that. i was so mad because i still have to buy a new bike .I dont have any money for this stuff. I dont know what i am going to do. My new bike is going to cost about 150 bucks becuase i bought a warranty with it. so glad i did that. But hte total comes out to liek 280 bucks for everythign. I AM A MISSIONARY! I dont have that money. But ya that is the situation i am in right now.
Sunday i had dinner at a members house and i learned some way cool htings. I want a book called Exploring the lands of the Book of Mormon. It is such a cool book. That is my favorite thing to study about. THe book of mormon and native american indians. i love it so much and that book talks about it so much. iwant it. before we left the brother gave a closing prayer. he blessed me that i would continue to be aawesome missionary and that the lord woudl bless me with the japaense language. it was a way good blessing. i really appreciated it alot. HE told me taht i was differnet and special. He said that since i can adopt to the japanese culture and the way they do things, i will learn the language faster and be better at it. That made me really happy. It really strengthend my faith and gave me a push that i needed. I love him so much. I wish you could of been there for the blessing though. It was incredible.
I did get transfered. That makes my bike problem a little harder too. But i am in a area called Kawagoe. It has 4 people in the apartemnt which i am so excited about. But i am in a co-senior comapnionhsip and that scares me. ALOT. I am on a transfer 5 and my comp is transfer 7. This means taht they are planning something special for me. I am a bit nervous but it is in the future and i have no idea what will happen. My comp is half mexican and from oregon. His name is Elder Albrethsen. He is also like a head shorter than me and problably 50 lbs heavier tahn me. i like him alot. He remindes me alot of boo and looks like him too. He also reminds me of an ompa loompa. He is cool though. HIs japanese is better than mine but not that good i dont think. So i dont know. He is still older and i will have to rely on himn still. My apartment has no weights in it. THat scares me a lot. I have run everday i can. I have maintained a good weight of like 178lbs. BUt i need to workout and this apartment has no weights and i dont know how i will be able to work out. i dont want ot loose my muscle or gain fat. i think i am just stressin my self out though. Tonight we have dinner with the bishop and the other elders were telling me that he feeds you tons of food. i like that buyt hate it at the same time. I am trying so hard to maintain my weight. I dont want to gain fat. only muscle. I hate this. i wish the human body could just eat whatever and as much and never gain anyweight. i would love that. I have such a slow metabolism though. i want a fast one.
ANyway, ya. i finally saw mountains for the 1st time since leaving the MTC. I was so happy. i cna see mountains from apartment. that makes me super happy too. my apartment is also on a river. super cool. I think i am going to like it here alot besides the fact of no weights.
I love you with all my heart mom. I cant wait to talk to you on Christmas. Nick Keels wants to talk too. Can you email him and fill him in on details on what will happen. I really want him to be there when i call. Its coming quick. I love you and cant wait to look at the pictures you sent me. i hope that you have a great week. I know that i will except not having a bike or money. I hope that you stay safe. Iknow that God will be looking out for you always and our family too. I will pray for you and the family. Well i gotta run. "
I LOVE YOU!!!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
30 October 2011
So I cant wait to tell you about my week but i must put in my thoughts of the week that you expireneced. So you will just have to wait a little bit.
Sounds like you had a way busy week or monday i should say. I hope all of your pictures are doing good and have not been lost. Nohting will happen from dad writing that letter. Highland sucks. They have crudy peopel working there besides you. Everyone loves you. I am glad that bug got his jersey. I remember that is like one fo the only things i wanted when i played. I too am glad taht football is over for him. I hope your card tournament is going swell. Did bug go on splits with the missionaries? I think he needs to do that more. I wish i would of. It really prepares people. I am glad taht he enjoied it though. I did hear that Bries shower was a hit. I love Cafe Rio but i like Chipotle better ( hahahah). I am glad taht bug got his name called out over the speakers. It always makes me feel good to hear taht. I am happy he played hard and did what he could. Good for him. I am so happy football is over. How was garage seling? I have a few things i would like for christams to add to my list. I will tell you later though. I loved the ward party much more than trunk or treating too. Oh well.
Ok now i will tell you about my week and how great it was. IT was so much fun and i really loved being here.
Monday: After Pday we went and played indoor soccer. IT was so much fun. I havent played soccer in along time but ithought that i did pretty good against people who love soccer. The japanese were afraid of me though becasue i could run fast and i was bigger than them. It was funny. I met a really cool dude who lived in Australia too. He was awesome and thought i was cool too. I was so sore for liek 2 days after playeing soccer becasue i havent done any of that since the MTC!!! IT felt so good tho!!!
Tuesday: I was able to read emails from DAd, Justin, and Kamas. I was really touched about what they said and i pondered on it and prayed about it alot. The letter i just sent to you taht was for my President was written on Last tuesday in response to what i felt and My answers to my Prayers. It really was a good day. I loved my letters and I can firmly say that I AM NOT COMING HOME!!! I have made up my mind and i am going to stick with those guns! They are the most powerful.
Wednesday: I was able to teach my favorite investigator Michael. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation. I really connect with him super well. I love him so much. After the lesson we asked if he had any concerns and he told us about his grandma. He moved to Japan like 2 years ago. He loves his grandma. She passed away while he has been here in Japan and he was wondering if he will ever see her again. I was so happy to testify and promise him that he would see her again. I love bearing testimony about how families can be together forever. I read Christiaans email. HIs advice was to me was to fall on my testimony. I do everytime. I learned that one along time ago. But thinking about it now, testifying about how families can be together forever really makes me happy. i was super happy that i was able to share with him about Kess. I saw the look in his eyes. He realy has concern and when i promised him that , a new light entered his eyes. I loved it so much. I am worried for him though. He doesnt comprehend any language very well. He is on the slow side. He speaks really good english but cant understand when he reads it. That is a problem becasue he NEEDS to read the Book of Mormon. Thank heavens for the LDS website and its simpel BOM videos. We can have him read a certain part and then send a video along with it. SO when he is done and doesnt understand, he can watch the video (which is like a cartoon) and understand it. I did that with him and he said he loved it. So grateful for this wonderful tool. Also i have you and the family now. HE was so happy taht you added him. Please help him. I will be transfered and i dont want to loose him.
Thursday: We went to a less-actives daughters birthday party. IT was funny becasue they had tons of food. so who do they call. . . the missionaries. It was philippino food because it was a philippino family. I loved it so much. such good food. Anyways, we thought the party was dead but we were wrond. It was very much alive and people kept coming. We ended up having 7 contacted referrals and talked to everyone of the philippinas about church and our activites. It was super fun. THe little kids loved us too. THey reminded me alot of my nephews. It was hard not to reak rules but oh well. I had a ball. We talked to the less-actve about her family and found out that the birthday girl had not been baptized yet. So we talked and she wants to be baptized. So we set a date there. IT was suepr good. Talk about a philippino week in Japan.
Friday: We went to a older sisters house. She invited all her friends to hear about the Plan of Salvation. Maybe becasue they all are worried because they are gonna die soon. Yup they are way old. Maybe in their 80s. Anywho, They lesson went super good. We taught really simpley and they loved it so much. They couldnt get enough. THey wanted more. It was super fun to see thme get all excited about this. We read from the book of mormon and they said that it was super simple. Maybe because the book is as old as they are. hahaha. It was super good. We committed all 3 of them to baptism too. I think my area is now the number 1 area with the most dates. we have 6. It was super good lesson and the member is awesome. She is a beast of a missionary. SHe called us this morning and tomorrow we are going to her house again to teach a seperate group of old ladies the same lesson. These old people are so popular. It should be reaally fun and more dates.
Saturday: Our ward Halloween party. It was super god. We had a ton of investigators come and nonmembers and less-actives. It really was a fun night. but very different. Some of the boothes were super funny.
So that was pretty much my week. It was full of Philippino's, Plan of Salvation, and Parties. I had so much fun. It really was so enjoiable. I can definatley see the difference after just 6 days of sayin "I am a committed Japan Tokyo Missionary". It is so much easeir. This week was just so good.
Tell justin Happy Birthday for me. I love him so much and am so grateful for him. I hope that he got my letter and enjoied it.
So as far as my Christmas list goes:electric shaver, i need deoderant (stuff that DOESNT have antipersperiant-kamas knows), Dog tags, a hand made scarf, and a Purple sport cord from Dicks sporting store. It is a stretchy cord for workouts. I had one before i left. Bug and Kamas should know about this. YOu can get them at Dicks sporting goods by san tan mall. I really need a new one. IT needs to be purple. so that is my list so far. I cant think of anything else. BUt if i do, i will let you know.
I love you so much mom. I am so grateful that i have a mom like you back at home. I cant wait to hear your voice on Christmas. I am so grateful that i had a good week this week adn i am looking forward to another great one this week. We have already planned so many fun things. It is going to be great. I love this gospel. I really do. I know i dont say it very much in my emails , but i appreciate it more than you know. Trust me. I love you. Next week i will be transfering. Presidnt has already told me that. SO my pday is going to be on my tuesday adn your monday. Just letting you know. I also might be a District Leader. Who knows. They are making the young missionaries leaders, and old missionaries trainers. I am excited for this week. It is going to be so fun. Take care and stay classy. God be with you always. . .
Love your son, the American Samurai,
Elder Kurt Van De Graaff
P.S. Here are some cool qoutes that i found.
ALl that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke
Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans.
Afflictions, trials, and temptaions are mandatory. Misery is optional. ( I like this the most)
Everything will be alright in the end; if it is not alright, it is not the end.
Sounds like you had a way busy week or monday i should say. I hope all of your pictures are doing good and have not been lost. Nohting will happen from dad writing that letter. Highland sucks. They have crudy peopel working there besides you. Everyone loves you. I am glad that bug got his jersey. I remember that is like one fo the only things i wanted when i played. I too am glad taht football is over for him. I hope your card tournament is going swell. Did bug go on splits with the missionaries? I think he needs to do that more. I wish i would of. It really prepares people. I am glad taht he enjoied it though. I did hear that Bries shower was a hit. I love Cafe Rio but i like Chipotle better ( hahahah). I am glad taht bug got his name called out over the speakers. It always makes me feel good to hear taht. I am happy he played hard and did what he could. Good for him. I am so happy football is over. How was garage seling? I have a few things i would like for christams to add to my list. I will tell you later though. I loved the ward party much more than trunk or treating too. Oh well.
Ok now i will tell you about my week and how great it was. IT was so much fun and i really loved being here.
Monday: After Pday we went and played indoor soccer. IT was so much fun. I havent played soccer in along time but ithought that i did pretty good against people who love soccer. The japanese were afraid of me though becasue i could run fast and i was bigger than them. It was funny. I met a really cool dude who lived in Australia too. He was awesome and thought i was cool too. I was so sore for liek 2 days after playeing soccer becasue i havent done any of that since the MTC!!! IT felt so good tho!!!
Tuesday: I was able to read emails from DAd, Justin, and Kamas. I was really touched about what they said and i pondered on it and prayed about it alot. The letter i just sent to you taht was for my President was written on Last tuesday in response to what i felt and My answers to my Prayers. It really was a good day. I loved my letters and I can firmly say that I AM NOT COMING HOME!!! I have made up my mind and i am going to stick with those guns! They are the most powerful.
Wednesday: I was able to teach my favorite investigator Michael. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation. I really connect with him super well. I love him so much. After the lesson we asked if he had any concerns and he told us about his grandma. He moved to Japan like 2 years ago. He loves his grandma. She passed away while he has been here in Japan and he was wondering if he will ever see her again. I was so happy to testify and promise him that he would see her again. I love bearing testimony about how families can be together forever. I read Christiaans email. HIs advice was to me was to fall on my testimony. I do everytime. I learned that one along time ago. But thinking about it now, testifying about how families can be together forever really makes me happy. i was super happy that i was able to share with him about Kess. I saw the look in his eyes. He realy has concern and when i promised him that , a new light entered his eyes. I loved it so much. I am worried for him though. He doesnt comprehend any language very well. He is on the slow side. He speaks really good english but cant understand when he reads it. That is a problem becasue he NEEDS to read the Book of Mormon. Thank heavens for the LDS website and its simpel BOM videos. We can have him read a certain part and then send a video along with it. SO when he is done and doesnt understand, he can watch the video (which is like a cartoon) and understand it. I did that with him and he said he loved it. So grateful for this wonderful tool. Also i have you and the family now. HE was so happy taht you added him. Please help him. I will be transfered and i dont want to loose him.
Thursday: We went to a less-actives daughters birthday party. IT was funny becasue they had tons of food. so who do they call. . . the missionaries. It was philippino food because it was a philippino family. I loved it so much. such good food. Anyways, we thought the party was dead but we were wrond. It was very much alive and people kept coming. We ended up having 7 contacted referrals and talked to everyone of the philippinas about church and our activites. It was super fun. THe little kids loved us too. THey reminded me alot of my nephews. It was hard not to reak rules but oh well. I had a ball. We talked to the less-actve about her family and found out that the birthday girl had not been baptized yet. So we talked and she wants to be baptized. So we set a date there. IT was suepr good. Talk about a philippino week in Japan.
Friday: We went to a older sisters house. She invited all her friends to hear about the Plan of Salvation. Maybe becasue they all are worried because they are gonna die soon. Yup they are way old. Maybe in their 80s. Anywho, They lesson went super good. We taught really simpley and they loved it so much. They couldnt get enough. THey wanted more. It was super fun to see thme get all excited about this. We read from the book of mormon and they said that it was super simple. Maybe because the book is as old as they are. hahaha. It was super good. We committed all 3 of them to baptism too. I think my area is now the number 1 area with the most dates. we have 6. It was super good lesson and the member is awesome. She is a beast of a missionary. SHe called us this morning and tomorrow we are going to her house again to teach a seperate group of old ladies the same lesson. These old people are so popular. It should be reaally fun and more dates.
Saturday: Our ward Halloween party. It was super god. We had a ton of investigators come and nonmembers and less-actives. It really was a fun night. but very different. Some of the boothes were super funny.
So that was pretty much my week. It was full of Philippino's, Plan of Salvation, and Parties. I had so much fun. It really was so enjoiable. I can definatley see the difference after just 6 days of sayin "I am a committed Japan Tokyo Missionary". It is so much easeir. This week was just so good.
Tell justin Happy Birthday for me. I love him so much and am so grateful for him. I hope that he got my letter and enjoied it.
So as far as my Christmas list goes:electric shaver, i need deoderant (stuff that DOESNT have antipersperiant-kamas knows), Dog tags, a hand made scarf, and a Purple sport cord from Dicks sporting store. It is a stretchy cord for workouts. I had one before i left. Bug and Kamas should know about this. YOu can get them at Dicks sporting goods by san tan mall. I really need a new one. IT needs to be purple. so that is my list so far. I cant think of anything else. BUt if i do, i will let you know.
I love you so much mom. I am so grateful that i have a mom like you back at home. I cant wait to hear your voice on Christmas. I am so grateful that i had a good week this week adn i am looking forward to another great one this week. We have already planned so many fun things. It is going to be great. I love this gospel. I really do. I know i dont say it very much in my emails , but i appreciate it more than you know. Trust me. I love you. Next week i will be transfering. Presidnt has already told me that. SO my pday is going to be on my tuesday adn your monday. Just letting you know. I also might be a District Leader. Who knows. They are making the young missionaries leaders, and old missionaries trainers. I am excited for this week. It is going to be so fun. Take care and stay classy. God be with you always. . .
Love your son, the American Samurai,
Elder Kurt Van De Graaff
P.S. Here are some cool qoutes that i found.
ALl that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke
Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans.
Afflictions, trials, and temptaions are mandatory. Misery is optional. ( I like this the most)
Everything will be alright in the end; if it is not alright, it is not the end.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
24 October 2011
Oh how i needed your email today. My week has been a peice of crap and it does have quite the story in it. But needless to say, i dont think my week was a wonderful one or any of that. Just adventure i quess you could say. I will get to that later though.
I want to go to the Gilbert Temple so bad. When will it be done in 2013? Do you know? I hope that i will be home to go through when they dedicate it. THat would be an awesome expierence. But i think i will keep the family tradition going and be married in the Mesa Temple. I do wish i had in n out though. Oh well. . . .
Whats up with just me and you being the injured ones in our family? Why doesnt anyone else get injured? Sounds like you have quite the problems hahaha. I am glad that your surgery went so well. I would want the cast off as soons as possible too. I hate them. I really like driving too. It is super good to hear that Cannon is out of the hospital. What a relief. I have been praying so hard for him and their family. I am so grateful that he is alive and will be a healthy boy when i get home. I know he will gain weight fast because he is a VDG and has the VDG curse of gaining weight. I hate that curse. I wish i could eat whatever and not gain any weight but that aint the case.
I am now excited to get the wedding invitation. I know that it will probably make me homesick though. I better start preparing for it. I took pictures yesterday and i will be emailing them to you today. I hope they are good. I will also be sending my camera card home with them on it. I will need that back as soon as possible. As for Christmas. . . I have thought about it. If you were to send a small package i quess i would want a electric shaver, dog tags with my name on it, deoderant that has NO Anti-persperiant in it Kamas knows what i am talking about(japanese people dont wear deoderant so they dont sell any), money, maybe you could sew me a scarf that would be cool. I will let you know over the next coulpel of weeks. But i do like the idea of money in my bank account for when i get home. Christmas is going to suck this year. It really is going to be different. But i am excited to talk with you guys.
I am so glad that you finally talked to coaches about Bug. They needed to knwo how messed up they are. Thank you so much. I really laughed at your story. I am proud of you mom. I love you so much. I hope that those coaches get fired. They suck so much. I am glad that Bug is handling it well and is on your side and is going to finish it out. Good for him. But like you said, it is in the past now and we can only move forward.
Sounds like you all had a pretty good solid week. I am glad Kamas and Brie are doing good. I hope that your hand gets better quicker. I will pray for you as i always do. Please let everyone know that i love them. Now, Let me tell you about my week.
So on Monday we had a lesson with one of out investigators who had a baptismal date. HIs name is Adachi. We meet him at the train station and he was trying to talk to me. I couldnt understand anything he was saying so i would just smile and say "Hai" or yes. When my companion came we went to go find a spot to sit and teach him. Adachi was acting really weird. He was saying stuff like "Ban Di choro said i cant touch him." and "What bike is mine?" Just really random things. I could have said that he couldnt touch me or that we could go to our apartment but i didnt understand him. Finally we made it to a Hotel lobby and started teaching him. He told us that he didnt need to be baptized because he was already in our church. He said that he had worked at a Christian Hospital and had been baptized into our church. We told him no. The conversation went along like that for like 30 min. Finally we told him that we were through meeting with him because he wasnt taking us seriously. (There was someother topics talked about but it was all the same). Me and my comp got up and left. We were outside the Hotle doors walking to the escalator to go to our bikes. we were talking about how weird this adachi was. Then we heard " BAN DI!!!". Adachi was running out of the Hotel and running after us. We started making haste towards the escalator. We started running up the escalators and adachi is behind us yelling my name BAN DI, BAN DI!!! We almost got caught by him because on the escaltor was another man and we had to push him out of the way to get away. It was an awesome expirenece and i had a blast. Adachi is crazy. Over the week he would send us some really weird texts and stuff threatening us. so we blocked him from our phone and havent heard anything from him since thursday. It was such a Fun expirence. One i will never forget. It was just funning to think back on him yelling my name while running after us. So funny. So that started the week off really well. Tuesday and Wednesday were good.
Thursday i got a bit homesick and down on myself. I really got frustrated at the fact that no one wanted to listen to us the whole day. It really frustrates me.
Friday it was raining and agian i got down on myself. No one wanted to listne to us and i was now really mad. I felt like i was just wasting time and not being successful. Thankfully i had study though. WE went out and worked in the moring. THis is were it gets really intresting. SO friday night we had planned on going seeing a member that lives probably 30 min bike ride away. It was in the rain too. So we left. My bike was having some problems and then my chain jsut fell off and wouldnt go back on. We had probably been riding for 15 minutes when this happened. I tried fixing my bike for at least 20 min. I was Pissed now. I lost my temper and i was on the verge of just killing somebody. I didnt swear though. I really wanted to though. Now i had to walk my bike home 30 to 45 minutes in the rain. I was so mad. On the walk home i had time to think about everything. It was so hard. It went deeper than just what happend with my bike. Some thoughts were i should just go home, ill never learn japanese, you arent successful, etc. It was a super hard night. I honestly considered coming home. I honestly felt that i havent done any good here and that i should just carry on with my life back at home. I had a lot of hard thoughts. I cant even describe what some of those thoughts were becasue there were so many and i just want to forget them. I tried my hardest to battle them. But then the thought came up of how can i be a good missionary, a missionary who thinks about his investigators and doesnt think about other things, if i am always battling the adversary in my head. Its a constant battle. i always have it. I hate it so much. When we got back to the apartement i sat in a chair and just thought. I thought about how boo, justin, kamas, and kess all conqured their missions and how they made them fun. I really wish kess was alive to give me advise. He is the closest one that i can to relate to becasue he too had to learn a hard language in another country. I thought about if i would actually make a 2 year mission. If i keep feeling like i did then and keep having those kind of thoughts, there is no way that i would want to do that for 2 years. I would just rather go home and serve the Lord in other ways. As you can see, it was a super hard time on me. REally hard. I need your prayers now more than ever.
Saturday i had to go and get my bike fixed. Its going to cost $100 to get it fixed. I couldnt belive that. I think the person was just trying to ripoff the white person who doesnt speak japanese. But that is what happend on saturday.
Sunday i was looking forward to all weeek becasue we had a less active baptism. The girl was 9 years old or so i thought. She turned out to be only 8. I thought that i was finally going to get my 1 baptism in the mission. God has a funny sense of humor i think. It really was the cherry on top of the whip cream. Finding out that you arent getting a baptism when you have been planning for this for a couple of months. It hurt me inside but not that much. I never taught this girl and i didnt feel like the missionaries should get the credit for her baptism, but i was still excited to say that someone came to Christ while i was there. But that didnt happen. I did however get to stand in the Confirmation Circle and that was AMAZING. I Felt the Spirit so much. I really want a to do that again so i can feel that spirit again. It was such a good feeling. I only understood one thing out of the blessing too. And that was when the bishop told her to recieve the Holy Ghost. It was good. Sunday night however i got super pissed at my comp again. we were talking about americans and japanese. He said that he loved japanese more than americans. I told him that i loved americans more. THen he continued to say "When you really love the poeple, your opinion will change aobut that." AARRGG!! I wanted to punch him in the face so hard. That is twice that he has offened me and made me feel like a unsuccessful missionary. I just brushed it off my shoulders and forgave him though. IT really hurts though and really makes some question their mission when others sya that they arent doing good enough. If you remember he told me that i wasnt giving a good enough sacrifce and now that i dont really love the poeple i serve. NO wonder i am having a hard time with thoughts and stuff. I just want a companion that is like me just wants to have fun and bring people to christ. I dont wnat compainons who make me fell like crap. But i continue to look for ways to serve and love him. TOday i folded his laundery. Oh and i alwyas cook the food. He has never made one meal this transfer.
So here i am today writing you this email. As you can tell, i have had quit the week with ups and downs. I really hope that i have learned what the Lord wants me to learn. I dont recall ever having this hard of week in my life. I really just want to speak japanese, get poeple who want to listen, having a fun companion, and do work. Dont worry. I dont want to come home. Well i do, but i will stay out on my mission until my time is up or i get sent home for some reason. But i want to stay and show the Lord that i love him and that i will do his will. I cant wait til i have more fun things to say and less hard things. I want to let you know how my week went and what is up in my life right now. This is what i am battling. I really need your prayers and everyones at home. If you could have my older brothers and father send me some advice in a good way, i would really appreciate it. Also, could you find something from kess mission. i really could use some help from him. I love you with all my heart mom. I really want to be at home enjoing everything that is going on and avoiding my hard times but hten i wouldnt learn what the Lord wants me to learn. I hope that you have a fantastic week. I will hope for the same. Give everybody my love. I Love you so much. I find joy listening to the birds in the moring. They are pretty and remind me of the simpleness of things. I also love reading the Book of Mormon in Japanese. I cant wait to read it at the cabin and you guys will have no idea what i am saying. I cnat wait til i understand more fully. Until then, God bless you and keep you safe.
I want to go to the Gilbert Temple so bad. When will it be done in 2013? Do you know? I hope that i will be home to go through when they dedicate it. THat would be an awesome expierence. But i think i will keep the family tradition going and be married in the Mesa Temple. I do wish i had in n out though. Oh well. . . .
Whats up with just me and you being the injured ones in our family? Why doesnt anyone else get injured? Sounds like you have quite the problems hahaha. I am glad that your surgery went so well. I would want the cast off as soons as possible too. I hate them. I really like driving too. It is super good to hear that Cannon is out of the hospital. What a relief. I have been praying so hard for him and their family. I am so grateful that he is alive and will be a healthy boy when i get home. I know he will gain weight fast because he is a VDG and has the VDG curse of gaining weight. I hate that curse. I wish i could eat whatever and not gain any weight but that aint the case.
I am now excited to get the wedding invitation. I know that it will probably make me homesick though. I better start preparing for it. I took pictures yesterday and i will be emailing them to you today. I hope they are good. I will also be sending my camera card home with them on it. I will need that back as soon as possible. As for Christmas. . . I have thought about it. If you were to send a small package i quess i would want a electric shaver, dog tags with my name on it, deoderant that has NO Anti-persperiant in it Kamas knows what i am talking about(japanese people dont wear deoderant so they dont sell any), money, maybe you could sew me a scarf that would be cool. I will let you know over the next coulpel of weeks. But i do like the idea of money in my bank account for when i get home. Christmas is going to suck this year. It really is going to be different. But i am excited to talk with you guys.
I am so glad that you finally talked to coaches about Bug. They needed to knwo how messed up they are. Thank you so much. I really laughed at your story. I am proud of you mom. I love you so much. I hope that those coaches get fired. They suck so much. I am glad that Bug is handling it well and is on your side and is going to finish it out. Good for him. But like you said, it is in the past now and we can only move forward.
Sounds like you all had a pretty good solid week. I am glad Kamas and Brie are doing good. I hope that your hand gets better quicker. I will pray for you as i always do. Please let everyone know that i love them. Now, Let me tell you about my week.
So on Monday we had a lesson with one of out investigators who had a baptismal date. HIs name is Adachi. We meet him at the train station and he was trying to talk to me. I couldnt understand anything he was saying so i would just smile and say "Hai" or yes. When my companion came we went to go find a spot to sit and teach him. Adachi was acting really weird. He was saying stuff like "Ban Di choro said i cant touch him." and "What bike is mine?" Just really random things. I could have said that he couldnt touch me or that we could go to our apartment but i didnt understand him. Finally we made it to a Hotel lobby and started teaching him. He told us that he didnt need to be baptized because he was already in our church. He said that he had worked at a Christian Hospital and had been baptized into our church. We told him no. The conversation went along like that for like 30 min. Finally we told him that we were through meeting with him because he wasnt taking us seriously. (There was someother topics talked about but it was all the same). Me and my comp got up and left. We were outside the Hotle doors walking to the escalator to go to our bikes. we were talking about how weird this adachi was. Then we heard " BAN DI!!!". Adachi was running out of the Hotel and running after us. We started making haste towards the escalator. We started running up the escalators and adachi is behind us yelling my name BAN DI, BAN DI!!! We almost got caught by him because on the escaltor was another man and we had to push him out of the way to get away. It was an awesome expirenece and i had a blast. Adachi is crazy. Over the week he would send us some really weird texts and stuff threatening us. so we blocked him from our phone and havent heard anything from him since thursday. It was such a Fun expirence. One i will never forget. It was just funning to think back on him yelling my name while running after us. So funny. So that started the week off really well. Tuesday and Wednesday were good.
Thursday i got a bit homesick and down on myself. I really got frustrated at the fact that no one wanted to listen to us the whole day. It really frustrates me.
Friday it was raining and agian i got down on myself. No one wanted to listne to us and i was now really mad. I felt like i was just wasting time and not being successful. Thankfully i had study though. WE went out and worked in the moring. THis is were it gets really intresting. SO friday night we had planned on going seeing a member that lives probably 30 min bike ride away. It was in the rain too. So we left. My bike was having some problems and then my chain jsut fell off and wouldnt go back on. We had probably been riding for 15 minutes when this happened. I tried fixing my bike for at least 20 min. I was Pissed now. I lost my temper and i was on the verge of just killing somebody. I didnt swear though. I really wanted to though. Now i had to walk my bike home 30 to 45 minutes in the rain. I was so mad. On the walk home i had time to think about everything. It was so hard. It went deeper than just what happend with my bike. Some thoughts were i should just go home, ill never learn japanese, you arent successful, etc. It was a super hard night. I honestly considered coming home. I honestly felt that i havent done any good here and that i should just carry on with my life back at home. I had a lot of hard thoughts. I cant even describe what some of those thoughts were becasue there were so many and i just want to forget them. I tried my hardest to battle them. But then the thought came up of how can i be a good missionary, a missionary who thinks about his investigators and doesnt think about other things, if i am always battling the adversary in my head. Its a constant battle. i always have it. I hate it so much. When we got back to the apartement i sat in a chair and just thought. I thought about how boo, justin, kamas, and kess all conqured their missions and how they made them fun. I really wish kess was alive to give me advise. He is the closest one that i can to relate to becasue he too had to learn a hard language in another country. I thought about if i would actually make a 2 year mission. If i keep feeling like i did then and keep having those kind of thoughts, there is no way that i would want to do that for 2 years. I would just rather go home and serve the Lord in other ways. As you can see, it was a super hard time on me. REally hard. I need your prayers now more than ever.
Saturday i had to go and get my bike fixed. Its going to cost $100 to get it fixed. I couldnt belive that. I think the person was just trying to ripoff the white person who doesnt speak japanese. But that is what happend on saturday.
Sunday i was looking forward to all weeek becasue we had a less active baptism. The girl was 9 years old or so i thought. She turned out to be only 8. I thought that i was finally going to get my 1 baptism in the mission. God has a funny sense of humor i think. It really was the cherry on top of the whip cream. Finding out that you arent getting a baptism when you have been planning for this for a couple of months. It hurt me inside but not that much. I never taught this girl and i didnt feel like the missionaries should get the credit for her baptism, but i was still excited to say that someone came to Christ while i was there. But that didnt happen. I did however get to stand in the Confirmation Circle and that was AMAZING. I Felt the Spirit so much. I really want a to do that again so i can feel that spirit again. It was such a good feeling. I only understood one thing out of the blessing too. And that was when the bishop told her to recieve the Holy Ghost. It was good. Sunday night however i got super pissed at my comp again. we were talking about americans and japanese. He said that he loved japanese more than americans. I told him that i loved americans more. THen he continued to say "When you really love the poeple, your opinion will change aobut that." AARRGG!! I wanted to punch him in the face so hard. That is twice that he has offened me and made me feel like a unsuccessful missionary. I just brushed it off my shoulders and forgave him though. IT really hurts though and really makes some question their mission when others sya that they arent doing good enough. If you remember he told me that i wasnt giving a good enough sacrifce and now that i dont really love the poeple i serve. NO wonder i am having a hard time with thoughts and stuff. I just want a companion that is like me just wants to have fun and bring people to christ. I dont wnat compainons who make me fell like crap. But i continue to look for ways to serve and love him. TOday i folded his laundery. Oh and i alwyas cook the food. He has never made one meal this transfer.
So here i am today writing you this email. As you can tell, i have had quit the week with ups and downs. I really hope that i have learned what the Lord wants me to learn. I dont recall ever having this hard of week in my life. I really just want to speak japanese, get poeple who want to listen, having a fun companion, and do work. Dont worry. I dont want to come home. Well i do, but i will stay out on my mission until my time is up or i get sent home for some reason. But i want to stay and show the Lord that i love him and that i will do his will. I cant wait til i have more fun things to say and less hard things. I want to let you know how my week went and what is up in my life right now. This is what i am battling. I really need your prayers and everyones at home. If you could have my older brothers and father send me some advice in a good way, i would really appreciate it. Also, could you find something from kess mission. i really could use some help from him. I love you with all my heart mom. I really want to be at home enjoing everything that is going on and avoiding my hard times but hten i wouldnt learn what the Lord wants me to learn. I hope that you have a fantastic week. I will hope for the same. Give everybody my love. I Love you so much. I find joy listening to the birds in the moring. They are pretty and remind me of the simpleness of things. I also love reading the Book of Mormon in Japanese. I cant wait to read it at the cabin and you guys will have no idea what i am saying. I cnat wait til i understand more fully. Until then, God bless you and keep you safe.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
17 October 2011
I am sorry that i didnt mention that i had recieved your letter. But i did and i really appreciate it. Thank you so much. I also just got done writing bug and justin some letters. I will be sending them either tomorrow or the next day. I also found a member that has a super nice camera. I will ask them to take my picture. Its really wierd asking that question to members when you are supposed to do missionary work.
Sounds like you have had a way busy day and weekend. Just by the time i got this email, you are up pretty dang late. I am sorry i didnt tell you my pday was today. They are usually on monday. if not i will let you know. Next week my pday is on my MOnday your sunday. I will be on the computer at 10 am my time and 6 pm your time.
THank you for telling me about the sons of Mosiah. That really made me happy. I was writing a girl a letter today.i realized how happy i was to be serving them and trying to get them back into the gospel. I also told myself that christiaan is in a high baptizing mission becasue he saved up for his whole mission and is in an area where he is probably using 50 to 100 bucks a month. THat means the rest of his money is coming to help me and other missionaries in expensive areas. It was a good little revelation. But thank you so much for writing and telling me about the sons of mosiah. I had totally forgotten about them. thank you.
I hope that your surgery goes well. You have my prayers. I hope kamas does super good on his scoring. That is so cool to know that i have a brother who is getting married and doing super well in the Military. He better remember Heavenly Father during this time of prosperity. Today i was reading in Helaman 12. It pretty much talks about how men are stupid and forget the Lord in their time of prosperity and what the Lord does to them to get them to remember them. I would hate for Kamas to forget and then have all these bad things happen to him. You should let him know and read this chapter together.
I am so glad that you became friends with the Kawamitzu's. I totally remember them. I used to be really good friends with the boy that was my age. I have been thinking about htem when i remembered that they lived here in Japan. Pleace find out where they live adn let me know. Give them my address and have them write me a letter. I want to get back in touch with taht kid so bad. I really liked him alot. Are they members? I thought that they were. If not i will find them and baptize them. Maybe this is why i got called to Japan. To rescue them if they need it. I am so glad that you got in touch with them. I always thought about them and that boy that is my age. He was a really good friend of mine. Please let me know.
I love you lots mom. I am grateful that i got an email from you and that it was a really good one. Thank you so much. You already read whats been going down in my life. I have an investigator named Jay Michael Rider. Look him up on facebook. He is so awesome. He really reminds me of me and my life. I love him so much. He has a baptismal date. I told him that some family members would be asking to be his friend and he got super excited. IN my letter to bug i asked him to do the same thing. Please look him up and befreind him. He doesnt speak any japanese so people really cant fellowship or talk to him about the gospel like you guys can. Please do this. Be a mom like you are to nick and chris. I love you so much mom and really am thankful for everything. I am glad that i got on to check my emails again. I love you and hope that you have a good week. God be with you always. I know He is. Cant wait for next week.
Much Love,
Kurtiepie
Sounds like you have had a way busy day and weekend. Just by the time i got this email, you are up pretty dang late. I am sorry i didnt tell you my pday was today. They are usually on monday. if not i will let you know. Next week my pday is on my MOnday your sunday. I will be on the computer at 10 am my time and 6 pm your time.
THank you for telling me about the sons of Mosiah. That really made me happy. I was writing a girl a letter today.i realized how happy i was to be serving them and trying to get them back into the gospel. I also told myself that christiaan is in a high baptizing mission becasue he saved up for his whole mission and is in an area where he is probably using 50 to 100 bucks a month. THat means the rest of his money is coming to help me and other missionaries in expensive areas. It was a good little revelation. But thank you so much for writing and telling me about the sons of mosiah. I had totally forgotten about them. thank you.
I hope that your surgery goes well. You have my prayers. I hope kamas does super good on his scoring. That is so cool to know that i have a brother who is getting married and doing super well in the Military. He better remember Heavenly Father during this time of prosperity. Today i was reading in Helaman 12. It pretty much talks about how men are stupid and forget the Lord in their time of prosperity and what the Lord does to them to get them to remember them. I would hate for Kamas to forget and then have all these bad things happen to him. You should let him know and read this chapter together.
I am so glad that you became friends with the Kawamitzu's. I totally remember them. I used to be really good friends with the boy that was my age. I have been thinking about htem when i remembered that they lived here in Japan. Pleace find out where they live adn let me know. Give them my address and have them write me a letter. I want to get back in touch with taht kid so bad. I really liked him alot. Are they members? I thought that they were. If not i will find them and baptize them. Maybe this is why i got called to Japan. To rescue them if they need it. I am so glad that you got in touch with them. I always thought about them and that boy that is my age. He was a really good friend of mine. Please let me know.
I love you lots mom. I am grateful that i got an email from you and that it was a really good one. Thank you so much. You already read whats been going down in my life. I have an investigator named Jay Michael Rider. Look him up on facebook. He is so awesome. He really reminds me of me and my life. I love him so much. He has a baptismal date. I told him that some family members would be asking to be his friend and he got super excited. IN my letter to bug i asked him to do the same thing. Please look him up and befreind him. He doesnt speak any japanese so people really cant fellowship or talk to him about the gospel like you guys can. Please do this. Be a mom like you are to nick and chris. I love you so much mom and really am thankful for everything. I am glad that i got on to check my emails again. I love you and hope that you have a good week. God be with you always. I know He is. Cant wait for next week.
Much Love,
Kurtiepie
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
03 october 2011
Thanks so much for the email. It really breaks my heart to hear about Justin and Janalyn!!! I really do feel for them. I wish I could be at home right now to comfort them. Can you please do that for me? Show them my love for them. I feel horrible that out of all people, they are the ones who have to go through this trial. I hope that they are rewarded big time for this one. I really hope that little Cannon will be ok. I really want to meet him. He looks super cute in those pictures you sent me. I hope things turn out for the better. I read today in the scriptures Alma 57:16-17. These verses really stood out to me. This chapter is Helaman telling Moroni all the things that have happend to his army and the stripling warriors. He talks about how they had so much success over the Lamanites that they didn't have any room for them. So they selected men to take the prisoners to Zarahemla. Verse 17 then says that those who had left for Zarahemla returned the next day without the prisoners. Helaman said that he didn't inquire because the Lamanites were upon them and those who had left and returned, returned just in time to save them. That really stood out to me a lot. I thought to myself, all things, whether good or bad, happen for a reason. In the end result though (whether short or long), the thing that happens will be for our benefit. I know that this is a super hard time for everone. This will help us, though. The Lord will benefit us if we keep faithful and turn to him. You can share that with Justin and Janalyn if you want. I am glad to hear that you and everyone else had a good week. I am glad that Bug only has 4 games left. I can't wait for him to be out of football. I hope that Kamas is doing good and Kendi also. It is crazy stuff happening in Gilbert, AZ whille I'm gone.
So I am having problems with my new companion. He is a transfer 15. We have gotten in so many arguments in the past week. I have been in more arguments with him than I have since I got to Japan. You know how at the beginning of my mission I struggled with missionary work and finding happiness in it. Well, over the past couple months I have been doing really good and finding the joy in my mission. So on Saturday night we got into an argument over a Japanese class. The class was offered every day. He wanted to go on P-day(today) and I didn't. I told him that there were classes on everyday and why did we need to go on our P-day. He then told me how he wanted to help these people and the area (which I do, too). He then continued to tell me that when I start serving these people, it is then that I will be happy. I said that I was happy because I thought I was serving them. He then told me that I wasn't happy and that he wished that I could see myself. I was P.O.ed at this point and ready to pound in his freaking face. I couldn't believe that he said that. I have given up everything I had to come on this mission. I know that I have problems with finding joy in the work, but I felt like I have really made progress. In just 5 minutes, though, he tore all that down. I really started to ask myself then if my mission has been worth it. Becasue if I haven't been serving people, then the Lord wouldn't be accepting my misison. As you can see, it really did some damage. I really thought that I have been serving these poeple the last 5 months. Good thing Fast Sunday was the next day. After the argument, I went to the floor and poured out my heart to the Lord on the issue. I then fasted for getting along with my companion and being united with him. I think it went very well. On Monday I got to talk to that one phycologist dude. I told him what had happend and he told me that my companion had no right to do what he did. I quess there is a technique to degrade someones character and that is what my companion did.
I know that I still have a lot to learn. I also know that the Lord put me with this comp for a reason. Maybe for him to learn something from me? I am sure I have something to learn, though. I really am trying to be more united with him but it is so hard. Some missionaries are just super wierd and aren't themselves. They always talk about being consecrated and doing everyting they can to have the spirit. You know what I think? If you aren't having fun, you aren't consecrated. God has given us rules to follow so we can have fun. If we aren't having fun we don't have the spirit. If we are preoccupied with other things, we miss what is in front of us. I can keep going on. My comp told me that if I did follow the rules that the Lord wouldn't give me his spirit> That is B.S. When I was baptized, I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Lord has promised me his spirit. Ya, I know that I have to do my best, but I am going to goof up sometimes. It is by the spirit that I recognize I goofed up and need to change. Some missionaries just have really wierd thinking.
I am trying my best, mom, I really am. I don't want to sound prideful about anything. I am trying to be humble and willing to learn. All these things I just said have been things I've thought about since I fasted. I think they really will help. I will continue to try and love my comp. I am looking all the time for oppurtunites to serve him. It is super hard. He doesnt like jokes and talking about things, so it's super hard to connect. Good thing I only have 5 weeks left! I think I can handle that. Well, the rest of my week was ok. Just lots of problems inside of the apt. I really am looking for ways to strengthen that situation. I am super excited for conference. I hope that I will get some answers to my questions. I am sure I will.
The weather is getting cold and I need clothing. I am from AZ and I love the heat and hate the cold. Well, winter time cold. It is getting winter time cold here. Just letting you know. I don't have any winter clothing. Our apt. has no heating systems in it and I don't have a coat or sweater. I want both! I am ok now, but in like 4 or 5 weeks I will not be. I need whatever you think is appropiate for winter clothing. I would really love a hoody, though. It's like a shrt with a hood and pockets on the front.
The language is coming along ok. I wish it would come faster, though, but it is coming and I can see a difference. Just letting you know.
I am super sad about Justin and Janalyn. Please let them know how much I love them and care about them. Let them know that I will be praying for them all the time. I love you mom. I can't wait to hear form you again. God be with you always. I know that he is. I love and pray for you always!!!
So I am having problems with my new companion. He is a transfer 15. We have gotten in so many arguments in the past week. I have been in more arguments with him than I have since I got to Japan. You know how at the beginning of my mission I struggled with missionary work and finding happiness in it. Well, over the past couple months I have been doing really good and finding the joy in my mission. So on Saturday night we got into an argument over a Japanese class. The class was offered every day. He wanted to go on P-day(today) and I didn't. I told him that there were classes on everyday and why did we need to go on our P-day. He then told me how he wanted to help these people and the area (which I do, too). He then continued to tell me that when I start serving these people, it is then that I will be happy. I said that I was happy because I thought I was serving them. He then told me that I wasn't happy and that he wished that I could see myself. I was P.O.ed at this point and ready to pound in his freaking face. I couldn't believe that he said that. I have given up everything I had to come on this mission. I know that I have problems with finding joy in the work, but I felt like I have really made progress. In just 5 minutes, though, he tore all that down. I really started to ask myself then if my mission has been worth it. Becasue if I haven't been serving people, then the Lord wouldn't be accepting my misison. As you can see, it really did some damage. I really thought that I have been serving these poeple the last 5 months. Good thing Fast Sunday was the next day. After the argument, I went to the floor and poured out my heart to the Lord on the issue. I then fasted for getting along with my companion and being united with him. I think it went very well. On Monday I got to talk to that one phycologist dude. I told him what had happend and he told me that my companion had no right to do what he did. I quess there is a technique to degrade someones character and that is what my companion did.
I know that I still have a lot to learn. I also know that the Lord put me with this comp for a reason. Maybe for him to learn something from me? I am sure I have something to learn, though. I really am trying to be more united with him but it is so hard. Some missionaries are just super wierd and aren't themselves. They always talk about being consecrated and doing everyting they can to have the spirit. You know what I think? If you aren't having fun, you aren't consecrated. God has given us rules to follow so we can have fun. If we aren't having fun we don't have the spirit. If we are preoccupied with other things, we miss what is in front of us. I can keep going on. My comp told me that if I did follow the rules that the Lord wouldn't give me his spirit> That is B.S. When I was baptized, I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Lord has promised me his spirit. Ya, I know that I have to do my best, but I am going to goof up sometimes. It is by the spirit that I recognize I goofed up and need to change. Some missionaries just have really wierd thinking.
I am trying my best, mom, I really am. I don't want to sound prideful about anything. I am trying to be humble and willing to learn. All these things I just said have been things I've thought about since I fasted. I think they really will help. I will continue to try and love my comp. I am looking all the time for oppurtunites to serve him. It is super hard. He doesnt like jokes and talking about things, so it's super hard to connect. Good thing I only have 5 weeks left! I think I can handle that. Well, the rest of my week was ok. Just lots of problems inside of the apt. I really am looking for ways to strengthen that situation. I am super excited for conference. I hope that I will get some answers to my questions. I am sure I will.
The weather is getting cold and I need clothing. I am from AZ and I love the heat and hate the cold. Well, winter time cold. It is getting winter time cold here. Just letting you know. I don't have any winter clothing. Our apt. has no heating systems in it and I don't have a coat or sweater. I want both! I am ok now, but in like 4 or 5 weeks I will not be. I need whatever you think is appropiate for winter clothing. I would really love a hoody, though. It's like a shrt with a hood and pockets on the front.
The language is coming along ok. I wish it would come faster, though, but it is coming and I can see a difference. Just letting you know.
I am super sad about Justin and Janalyn. Please let them know how much I love them and care about them. Let them know that I will be praying for them all the time. I love you mom. I can't wait to hear form you again. God be with you always. I know that he is. I love and pray for you always!!!
Monday, September 26, 2011
26 august 2011
Man it sounds like you had a way busy week going all over. Sounds like me when i have ot go to Tokyo or to the Hombu. Anyways, I am glad that you had a good safe week.
I was telling dad something funny. You had to give a talk on Sunday, and So did I. Hahaha! Can you believe that? I found out on Friday to talk about how families can strengthen each other. I really talked about Kess and Kamas and You and how you guys have helped me so much. I am glad that both of our talks have turned out for the better. Dad said that your talk was super good. I am happy. You should send me a copy.
I am so happy that Bug started too. When I read that in dads email, I got a really really good feeling. I am so glad that he stuck it out and actually got to play. I am so happy for him. I really am. That is mecha awesome. I am sure he did super well, too. To bad the rest of the team sucks. But bug should be able to stick out the rest of the season.
How was Kendis birthday? How did she like my card? I hope that she had a great day. It sure sounds like she had a wonderful day.
It sucks that you have to go to surgery again. You are starting to sound like me and always being injured and have some sort of problems, haha. Just messing with you. But I hope that your surgery will go well. I will pray for you and your well being.
I haven't looked at the pictures of Kamas or Bug but I am way excited to look at them. I wanted to get you this email off first. I am glad that everyone is doing good and enjoyed their weeks. Mine was pretty chill.
Wednesday - In the apartment all day because of a typhoon that came straight through our mission. It was a way boring day but I got to read a lot from "Our Search For Happiness". It was good.
Thursday - We went down to Kisarazu to do another dendo blitz. It started raining on us though, and it was super ineffective for the stuff that I did. I was streeting form 3-5 and then a kubarikai from 5-7. It was fun to work and talk with other missionaries though. It really lightens up on the stress.
Friday - We went and played tennis with the Bishop and his wife. He then took us to go see a Potential Gator. I also had a very good lesson with Matsumoto. We taught him about faith and watched "Finding Faith in Christ". It was super good and he told us an awesome experience he had with prayer when he was 20. It was a pretty good day.
Saturday - We got transfer calls. I didn't transfer. I am still in Narita. But my companion was made AP, so he spent the day packing and I cleaned the apartment. We went to this really good resturant, too. The type of food is called Yakiniku. It's thin pieces of meat that you grill. It was an all you can eat place, too. I was in heaven and ate so much meat. Everyone in the store looked at me funny but I didn't care because I was able to eat as much meat as I wanted. It was so good. The first time I have had real meat since I left on my mission. It is by far my favorite kind of food in Japan. It was just like eating steak at home. So good. We then had to do other stuff outside our area.
Sunday - Church. I had to give a talk and the members fed us. It was a good day.
Monday - Transfers. I had to go to Tokyo which took 2 hours one way. I got my new companion, Elder Willmore. His 1st area was Narita. He is from Idaho. He is an old missionary and was just a traveling AP. We went to a members house for FHE and I bore a good testimony of the Book of Mormon and I felt really good about it. It was the first time I felt good bearing testimony in Japanese. That made me happy and I am grateful for that.
So that was my week. It was pretty good. The weather is starting to really cool down. On Saturday I really felt like I was at the cabin. The sun was shining but it wasn't hot. The atmosphere just felt like I was at the cabin and I really enjoied it. I Love the Fall time. Leaves haven't changed color yet but very soon. I can't even describe the weatehr and how it has been the last couple of days. Just AMAZING!! except Monday and today it has been raining and no sunshine. Oh well.
I am doing super well and I'm very excited about this transfer. I am sure it will go by way fast. I can't believe tha tI am starting transfer 4. it feels like yesterday that I just got to japan. Man, time is going by so fast.
My Japanese, I feel, is getting a lot better. I read the BoM in Japanese today and actually understood al ot of it. I was way impressed. After last night and bearing my testimony and reading the BoM in Japanese, I am feeling pretty dang confident about the language. I feel like with this transfer, that my wheels will stop spinning and actually take off. I am ready to learn and go fast.
Mom, I really did enjoy the last email you sent me. I really am trying to put my trust in Heavenly Father. I know that I need to believe his promises and trust that everything will turn out for the better. I am also trying to live in the moment and make everyday fun. I remembered Vickis saying the other day "into each day a little fun must fall" or it was something like that. But I am trying to have a more positive outlook on things and be a happier person. I am sure it will go good.
Well not much else for me to report. It is getting cold though and I dont have any winter clothes. I am just saying that becasue I need some. But other than that, I will stop wasting your time so you can enjoy something else. I love you with all my heart. You are the nectar to my flower haha :) Have a good week and may God be with you at all times. I love you!!!!
I was telling dad something funny. You had to give a talk on Sunday, and So did I. Hahaha! Can you believe that? I found out on Friday to talk about how families can strengthen each other. I really talked about Kess and Kamas and You and how you guys have helped me so much. I am glad that both of our talks have turned out for the better. Dad said that your talk was super good. I am happy. You should send me a copy.
I am so happy that Bug started too. When I read that in dads email, I got a really really good feeling. I am so glad that he stuck it out and actually got to play. I am so happy for him. I really am. That is mecha awesome. I am sure he did super well, too. To bad the rest of the team sucks. But bug should be able to stick out the rest of the season.
How was Kendis birthday? How did she like my card? I hope that she had a great day. It sure sounds like she had a wonderful day.
It sucks that you have to go to surgery again. You are starting to sound like me and always being injured and have some sort of problems, haha. Just messing with you. But I hope that your surgery will go well. I will pray for you and your well being.
I haven't looked at the pictures of Kamas or Bug but I am way excited to look at them. I wanted to get you this email off first. I am glad that everyone is doing good and enjoyed their weeks. Mine was pretty chill.
Wednesday - In the apartment all day because of a typhoon that came straight through our mission. It was a way boring day but I got to read a lot from "Our Search For Happiness". It was good.
Thursday - We went down to Kisarazu to do another dendo blitz. It started raining on us though, and it was super ineffective for the stuff that I did. I was streeting form 3-5 and then a kubarikai from 5-7. It was fun to work and talk with other missionaries though. It really lightens up on the stress.
Friday - We went and played tennis with the Bishop and his wife. He then took us to go see a Potential Gator. I also had a very good lesson with Matsumoto. We taught him about faith and watched "Finding Faith in Christ". It was super good and he told us an awesome experience he had with prayer when he was 20. It was a pretty good day.
Saturday - We got transfer calls. I didn't transfer. I am still in Narita. But my companion was made AP, so he spent the day packing and I cleaned the apartment. We went to this really good resturant, too. The type of food is called Yakiniku. It's thin pieces of meat that you grill. It was an all you can eat place, too. I was in heaven and ate so much meat. Everyone in the store looked at me funny but I didn't care because I was able to eat as much meat as I wanted. It was so good. The first time I have had real meat since I left on my mission. It is by far my favorite kind of food in Japan. It was just like eating steak at home. So good. We then had to do other stuff outside our area.
Sunday - Church. I had to give a talk and the members fed us. It was a good day.
Monday - Transfers. I had to go to Tokyo which took 2 hours one way. I got my new companion, Elder Willmore. His 1st area was Narita. He is from Idaho. He is an old missionary and was just a traveling AP. We went to a members house for FHE and I bore a good testimony of the Book of Mormon and I felt really good about it. It was the first time I felt good bearing testimony in Japanese. That made me happy and I am grateful for that.
So that was my week. It was pretty good. The weather is starting to really cool down. On Saturday I really felt like I was at the cabin. The sun was shining but it wasn't hot. The atmosphere just felt like I was at the cabin and I really enjoied it. I Love the Fall time. Leaves haven't changed color yet but very soon. I can't even describe the weatehr and how it has been the last couple of days. Just AMAZING!! except Monday and today it has been raining and no sunshine. Oh well.
I am doing super well and I'm very excited about this transfer. I am sure it will go by way fast. I can't believe tha tI am starting transfer 4. it feels like yesterday that I just got to japan. Man, time is going by so fast.
My Japanese, I feel, is getting a lot better. I read the BoM in Japanese today and actually understood al ot of it. I was way impressed. After last night and bearing my testimony and reading the BoM in Japanese, I am feeling pretty dang confident about the language. I feel like with this transfer, that my wheels will stop spinning and actually take off. I am ready to learn and go fast.
Mom, I really did enjoy the last email you sent me. I really am trying to put my trust in Heavenly Father. I know that I need to believe his promises and trust that everything will turn out for the better. I am also trying to live in the moment and make everyday fun. I remembered Vickis saying the other day "into each day a little fun must fall" or it was something like that. But I am trying to have a more positive outlook on things and be a happier person. I am sure it will go good.
Well not much else for me to report. It is getting cold though and I dont have any winter clothes. I am just saying that becasue I need some. But other than that, I will stop wasting your time so you can enjoy something else. I love you with all my heart. You are the nectar to my flower haha :) Have a good week and may God be with you at all times. I love you!!!!
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